December 11, 2007
4 REASONS TO NEVER STRETCH AGAIN
- STRETCHING DOESN'T DO WHAT IS CLAIMED
The general claim is that stretching will help you warm up and relax your muscles, and it's good for you. It is actually believed that it is important to stretch before training or racing. Sorry to disappoint you but stretching does not do any of those things. To warm up before training, you need to actually do a "warm up" routine. Instead of relaxing muscles, stretching actually tenses them and can tear the muscles, so if you feel sore and tense after your stretching routines, now you know why.
- STRETCHING CAN TEAR MUSCLES
As mentioned above, stretching can tear muscles. Stretching is a very damaging, violent and forceful action upon your muscles whether you're doing it fast or slow. As part of a human body, muscles have only 2 functions - to contract and to relax. When you start stretching your muscles, which goes against their natural state of being or working, they react by contracting which puts an unexpected and unnecessary stress on the tissue and can tear it.
- STRETCHING IS NOT FLEXIBILITY
Majority of people do not know the difference between the two, and many consider both one and the same, but it is a guarantee that everyone is after being flexible not stretchable. Dictionary.com provides very good meanings for both words:
- Stretching
-To lengthen, widen, or distend
-To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits
-To wrench or strain (a muscle, for example)
-To subject to undue strain
- Flexibility
-the property of being flexible; easily bent
Read more on this subject here FLEXIBILITY vs STRETCHING
- STRETCHING HAS VERY LIMITED PURPOSE AND EFFECT
While stretching does have a purpose, it is a very limited one and has nothing to do with sports. Stretching can be used for rehabilitation purpose and can be relatively useful, but there are other and better ways of rehabilitating.
So next time out training, start with a good warm up routine appropriate for your sport instead of mindlessly stretching yourself to injuries.
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