Flexibility training: how important is stretching really?
Many athletes prepare for strength training with stretching, believing that stretching exercises promote flexibility and add value to their training. But is this actually true? Is it necessary to stretch before and after your workout? The short answer is ‘no’. However, a stretching routine (a.k.a. flexibility training) can still be beneficial. Emilio explains.
Short or tense muscles
When we talk about flexibility, you probably associate it more with yoga or Pilates than with strength training. But did you know that you can become just as flexible from strength training as from stretching? And yet, people always think that it makes your muscles shorter!
Stretching doesn’t really have much to do with the length of your muscles. The range of motion you have seems to be determined mainly neurologically (at the nerve level), not by the length of your muscles per se. Which, if you think about it, makes sense. Just look at how quickly your flexibility can increase or decrease. For example, many people are much stiffer in the morning than in the evening. Or think about how much smoother your movements are when you’re warmed up for your workout. These are scenarios where there’s really no change in the length of your muscles.
Stretching and stiffness
If you’ve ever stretched before your workout, you’re probably familiar with the resistance in your muscles. As you move closer to your maximum achievable position, your body will react with a sensation of discomfort. ‘Sensors’ in your muscle (which we call muscle spindles) detect that you’re nearing your maximum achievable position and respond by increasing tension in the muscle. Resisting against this tension can cause pain or discomfort. This tension helps your body prevent you from moving into positions where you’re (still) not capable of bearing weight, acting as a protective mechanism.
We seem to be able to tolerate this feeling of pain or discomfort better when we stretch. This allows us to move further and easier into different positions, even though the muscle hasn’t actually become longer!
Should you stretch?
Now that we have an idea of how stretching works, the question arises: why should you do it?
- Increased Range of Motion
First and foremost, you can stretch to improve your range of motion. This can offer benefits if you currently have less freedom than you ideally ‘need’. The amount of flexibility you need depends on the activities you engage in. If you play tennis, for example, it’s handy to have the flexibility to raise your arm above your head. If you participate in martial arts, dancing, or gymnastics, you may need more flexibility.
- Injury Prevention
In this study, various methods were compared to reduce the risk of sports injuries. The conclusion is that stretching does not have a protective effect on injuries (although strength training does). Not even acutely. Although it may have disadvantages on strength output.
However, delving deeper into the research, we do see a nuance. Although many studies show no difference in the total number of injuries, some studies do show a decrease in muscle strains in individuals who regularly stretch. This aligns with the theory above – you need enough flexibility for your sports activity, perhaps with a bit of margin for when you occasionally ‘slip’.
- Posture
There’s a belief that stretching improves your posture, leading to less pain. In our previous blog on back pain, we indicated that there’s no connection between posture and pain. And even if there were, stretching doesn’t seem to help improve posture.
But don’t let this discourage you! Many people find stretching enjoyable and calming. And that’s an excellent reason to do it! That’s why we also like to stretch at the end of our Small Group Training sessions.
How to Stretch Effectively?
There are many forms of stretching, but the most commonly mentioned are: static stretching, dynamic stretching, or ballistic stretching. Static stretching, for example, involves reaching for your toes with straight legs. Dynamic stretching involves moving in and out of a position, such as a yoga flow or what you often see in a warm-up. Ballistic stretching involves swinging your leg upward with a straight leg.
Although there are nuances here too, the effect of stretching on flexibility doesn’t seem to differ much between the methods. Essentially, any movement that challenges your flexibility is a stretch. Did you know that when you engage a muscle’s full range of motion during strength training, it has just as much effect as static stretching? This is why we emphasize full range of motion during exercises (like deep squats) and do little stretching on the side.
What matters most is choosing a method that you enjoy. Unlike strength and cardio training, stretching is a less invasive method. This means you need less (or shorter) recovery time, so you can do it more often, even a few times a day.
So stretch as often as you like and in the way that works for you. And you don’t even have to stretch until it hurts. If we look at the result of stretching, there’s little difference in outcome between high and low-intensity stretch routines.
Conclusion
Stretching and flexibility have a beneficial reputation due to their gentle nature. In practice, however, the effect is a bit underwhelming. Flexibility seems to be less important for fitness and health than strength or endurance. That’s why stretching has little priority in our training.
But if you enjoy it, feel good about stretching, and/or just like becoming more flexible, we encourage any form of movement! And stretching is something you shouldn’t stop.
Do you want to know more about which flexibility training is suitable for you? Schedule your free trial session at one of our Clubs.
