Exercise
To stretch or not to stretch
To stretch or not to stretch.
I have heard of comments from doctors and colleagues that they have abandoned stressing the importance of stretching due to recent findings suggesting that stretching before exercise does not prevent injuries. I often just talk common sense so patients may understand their conditions and appreciate how and why they have to do their therapeutic exercises.
Injury prevention is only one of the many reasons why we have to stretch. Try telling Mr. Liu Xiang (劉翔) not to stretch his legs before his 110m hurdles. Try telling an Olympic swimmer not stretch his shoulders before his race. Try telling a gymnast that stretching before performing a split is a waste of time as stretching is not going to prevent injury?! I am sure none of these athletes would abandon their routine stretches before their sports, even in their training sessions. One of the most important reasons for stretching is that we have to be able to perform the actions, flexibility for performance. In other words, we have to make sure that we are loose enough to perform the required actions of whatever sports or activities. Mr. Liu Xiang (劉翔) will never wear a pair of tight trousers to hurdle. If he is to wear long pants, they will be the very stretchy ones. Muscle is not the only structure that we have to stretch for flexibility. We have to stretch our pants, skin, all soft tissues, ligaments, joints etc. If Mr. Liu insists on wearing his tight trousers to hurdle, he may not be able to stride over the hurdle because his tight trousers (acting as tight thigh muscles) will be holding him back. He will have to stride a lot harder and waste a lot of energy in order to stride over but risking tearing his tight trousers (tight thigh muscles). It is therefore just common sense that stretching before sports will help prevent injury. There are so many causing factors of an injury, so stretching alone is not going to guarantee us injury free but I am sure the risk of injury has to be higher if we do not stretch.
Luck LI
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
I have heard of comments from doctors and colleagues that they have abandoned stressing the importance of stretching due to recent findings suggesting that stretching before exercise does not prevent injuries. I often just talk common sense so patients may understand their conditions and appreciate how and why they have to do their therapeutic exercises.
Injury prevention is only one of the many reasons why we have to stretch. Try telling Mr. Liu Xiang (劉翔) not to stretch his legs before his 110m hurdles. Try telling an Olympic swimmer not stretch his shoulders before his race. Try telling a gymnast that stretching before performing a split is a waste of time as stretching is not going to prevent injury?! I am sure none of these athletes would abandon their routine stretches before their sports, even in their training sessions. One of the most important reasons for stretching is that we have to be able to perform the actions, flexibility for performance. In other words, we have to make sure that we are loose enough to perform the required actions of whatever sports or activities. Mr. Liu Xiang (劉翔) will never wear a pair of tight trousers to hurdle. If he is to wear long pants, they will be the very stretchy ones. Muscle is not the only structure that we have to stretch for flexibility. We have to stretch our pants, skin, all soft tissues, ligaments, joints etc. If Mr. Liu insists on wearing his tight trousers to hurdle, he may not be able to stride over the hurdle because his tight trousers (acting as tight thigh muscles) will be holding him back. He will have to stride a lot harder and waste a lot of energy in order to stride over but risking tearing his tight trousers (tight thigh muscles). It is therefore just common sense that stretching before sports will help prevent injury. There are so many causing factors of an injury, so stretching alone is not going to guarantee us injury free but I am sure the risk of injury has to be higher if we do not stretch.
Luck LI
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist