Stretching is not a warm up! Find out why (2024)

FAQs

Stretching is not a warm up! Find out why? ›

Don't consider stretching a warmup.

Stretching increases the range of motion of the joints and is effective for the maintenance and enhancement of exercise performance and flexibility, as well as for injury prevention. However, stretching as a warm-up activity may temporarily decrease muscle strength, muscle power, and exercise performance.

Scientists have hypothesized as to why stretching can, in some cases, make performance worse—by, for example, causing damage to the muscle and reducing its length at optimum force, or by impairing the release of much-needed calcium when the muscle does its job—but for now, these are all speculations.

If you do stretching exercises as part of your workout routine, it's best to do them after the warm-up or cool-down phase. Then the muscles are warm when you stretch. Stretching can improve flexibility and range of motion about a joint.

A good warm-up before a workout widens your blood vessels, ensuring that your muscles are well supplied with oxygen. It also raises your muscles' temperature for the best flexibility and efficiency.

In fact, stretching a cold, tight muscle could lead to injury. Instead, try a brief warm-up to get the blood flowing to your major muscle groups and loosen your joints.

When the muscle is stretched, so is the muscle spindle. The muscle spindle records the change in length (and how fast) and sends signals to the spine which convey this information. This triggers the stretch reflex which attempts to resist the change in muscle length by causing the stretched muscle to contract.

Consider skipping stretching before an intense activity, such as sprinting or track and field activities. Some research suggests that pre-event stretching may actually decrease performance. Research has also shown that stretching immediately before an event weakens hamstring strength.

One problem caused by stretching is that muscles become too loose — weaker — allowing the associated joint to move in a wider range of motion. This increased range of motion/flexibility puts more stress on the joint, which is no longer supported properly by the muscle, increasing the risk of injury.

A recent experimental study¹ found that although stretching increases flexibility, it does not change the structure of the muscles or the tendons. That means the gains in ROM were not due to a longer muscle fiber or muscle fibers with a less oblique angle.

Does stretching actually help? ›

Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way.

Healthy adults should do flexibility exercises (stretches, yoga, or tai chi) for all major muscle-tendon groups—neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles—at least two to three times a week. For optimal results, you should spend a total of 60 seconds on each stretching exercise.

Studies show that muscles and joints are tightest in the morning. They increase in flexibility throughout the day and peak at 7:00 PM. Because muscles and joints are most flexible in the evening, you have a greater range of motion and the ability to stretch more deeply at that time of day.

Stretching and warming up are often used interchangeably, however, they are not the same. Surprisingly, stretching before an activity is not doing much for you at all. Even worse, stretching before an activity can actually decrease your performance.

A warm-up for light physical activity will take around 10 minutes. It involves light aerobic activity and some dynamic stretching movements appropriate for the activity you're about to perform. This could include: fast-paced walking.

Aerobic Exercise

How much: Ideally, at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. Examples: Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

Dynamic stretches are active movements where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion. They can be used to help warm up your body before exercising. Dynamic stretches can be functional and mimic the movement of the activity or sport you're about to perform.

The stretching is pretty much the same. A warm up stretch is done to prepare your muscles for a workout to prevent injury and start your heartbeat and respiration to speed up slowly. The cool down stretch loosens up the tightness created by the exercise while your heartbeat and respiration slow to normal.

The above mentioned findings lead us to hypothesize that kinetic energy is stored and released as heat through the skin during stretching of the muscle-tendon unit in the final part of the stretch.

You are overstretching and potentially injuring yourself. Another indication of overstretching, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is feeling sore the day after you stretched. If you feel sore the day after stretching, MIT suggests reducing the intensity of some (or all) of your stretches.