Enough to stretch all the time. This is not as useful as you might think

Sport And Fitness / by admin / December 19, 2019

Stretching like to do before, after or instead of training. Perform it and newbies, and top athletes. And honestly believe that stretching is important and useful.

Yes, it can be useful, but you need to know when and how to stretch, and clearly understand why you do it.

Which can not stretch

Prepare the body for exercise

warm-up to prepare your body for activity, improve the movement coordination and accelerate the reaction. Stretching - is not the most effective way to achieve this.

It is not necessary to activate the muscles and improves their ability to quickly respond to brain signals. Conversely, static stretching impairsStatic stretching alters neuromuscular function and pacing strategy, but not performance during a 3-km running time-trial neuromuscular coordination.

There is a more efficient way to warm up: make easy cardio and some exercise, repetitive movements of your main workout. Specific sports workout consistently showsThe effect of two warm-up protocols on some biomechanical parameters of the neuromuscular system of middle distance runners

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, Effects of Dynamic and Static Stretching Within General and Activity Specific Warm-Up Protocols best results in different sports regardless of whether there is in it or not stretching.

Prevent or alleviate delayed muscle pain

delayed muscle pain - an inflammation of damaged muscle fibers 24-72 hours after training.

There is a myth that stretch after a hard workout helps prevent pain the next day. However, scientific data refute this. bracingDelayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factorsAs well as other methods such as homeopathy, ultrasound and cryotherapy, has no effect on the delayed muscle pain.

Besides, it does not matter when you stretch - before training, after it or during the pain - the result still will notStretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise..

Protect from injury

Stretching does not affectEffects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review the number of injury. Quite the contrary: stretching muscles without preheating, you risk damaging them.

An effective way to prevent injury - added to the basic elements of the warm-up exercise, carried out with low intensity. This improvesComprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomised controlled trial neuromuscular coordination and helps to work out the technique, making the athlete more nimble and collected.

Also, to prevent injuries in the warm-up includeThe effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials exercises for stability, strengthening muscles bark, proprioceptive training on the development of balance and strength training with small weights.

To increase the strength and speed

Static stretching before exercise reducesEffects of static stretching on 1-mile uphill run performance rate somewhere 8%, inhibitsAcute effect of passive static stretching on lower-body strength in moderately trained men a sense of stability and strength during a weight training.

In addition, it reducesDoes pre-exercise static stretching inhibit maximal muscular performance? A meta-analytical review strength, power and enduranceMuscular endurance perfomance when working with small weights (40-60% of body weight). This means that after stretching you will be weaker and slower, faster, get tired.

All of these effects apply only to static stretching. Before training can be done dynamically: it does not degrade performance. But whether it enhances - the big question.

What can stretch

increase flexibility

stretching increasesThe effect of time and frequency of static stretch on flexibility of the hamstring muscles, The Relation Between Stretching Typology and Stretching Duration: The Effects on Range of Motion, Regular hamstring stretching increased range of motion the range of motion of joints: it helps to sit down below, bend more and no experience with the pain and discomfort.

In this case, after stretching skeletal muscles do not changeIncreasing Muscle Extensibility: A Matter of Increasing Length or Modifying Sensation? its length - it is sufficient for any movements, your body just does not know it. Range of motion is increased due to neural adaptation: the body gets used to the new environment, he considers them to be safe and begins to move in a new way.

In everyday life, we rarely need a large range of motion. Full fold twines, Bridges - all this will be a good idea to look at Instagram, but it is absolutely not useful in life.

For those who are involved in sports and fitness, flexibility is more important question, but again, not all required splits. Is that in gymnastics and martial arts.

If you fall into a deep squat, not bending his back and not taking his heels on the floor, and you lack of mobility of the hip joint, then simply do not need a long time to sit in the "book" and "Frogs".

Work on the mobility restriction, if any. But stop to stretch that the already stretched and moves well.

Scientists can notFlexibility Training and Functional Ability in Older Adults: A Systematic Review advise stretching even older people, despite the fact that the range of their movements is reduced naturally.

In contrast, strength training and balance exercises, stretching relatively direct evidence that it improves the functionality of the human, no.

Correct posture

The body adapts perfectly under any conditions, and the modern way of life imposes on him the mark.

We always keep a sitting position with a lowered head and extended forward, bent back, shoulders skewed. Muscles and connective tissue adjust to it, and as a result of impaired posture, there are pains in the back and neck.

stretching helps fight with wrong position of the bladesEffectiveness of strengthening and stretching exercises for the postural correction of abducted scapulae: a review, Round shouldersChanges in rounded shoulder posture and forward head posture according to exercise methods and the incorrect position of the head.

In addition, it helps to relieve chronic pain in the neckStretching exercises vs manual therapy in treatment of chronic neck pain: a randomized, controlled cross-over trial and lower backA randomized trial comparing yoga, stretching, and a self-care book for chronic low back pain.

bring pleasure

This is one reason that it is impossible to refute. Stretching - it is a pleasant ritual, after which you will feel better. It slightly increasesInfluence of Passive Stretch on Muscle Blood Flow, Oxygenation and Central Cardiovascular Responses in Young Healthy Males circulation, without making you sweat and gasp - a great way to start the day or break during operation.

Therefore, continue to stretch, when you are comfortable and nice to do it.

When you need to stretch

Stretch if:

You need to remove the restrictions on mobility jointsIn order to properly perform the movement.
Do you want to correct your posture.
Do you like to stretch, it brings you pleasure.

If you do not like such exercises, they take time away from the main training and do not have restrictions on the mobility of the joints, you can forget about stretching and feel great.