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If you're one of those natural athletes who finds it unnecessary
to stretch or warm up before competition, you're probably
setting yourself
up for a serious muscle strain or tear. The proposed benefits
of stretching include a direct or indirect decrease in muscle
stiffness, and as any athlete will admit, muscle stiffness
is a primary concern before, during and after strenuous physical
activity.
Instead of ignoring the value of stretching and risking a
painful, frustrating injury,  why not take note of these recommendations
on stretching that appeared in the
August 2000 issue of The Physician and Sportsmedicine:
- Heat, ice and warmup all increase the effectiveness of
stretching, although only warmup is likely to prevent injury.
- One 30-second stretch per muscle group is sufficient
to increase range of motion in most healthy people.
- Contract-relax and hold-relax stretching techniques appear
to be the most effective for increasing range of motion;
however, the muscular contraction necessary for these techniques
may increase the risk of injury compared with more static
stretches.
- Individuals may be able to determine appropriate stretching
duration and style by holding a stretch until no additional
benefit is obtained.
Your doctor of chiropractic can tell you more about appropriate
stretching techniques and outline a comprehensive exercise
and wellness program suitable to your needs.
Reference:
Shrier I, Gossal K. Myths and truths of stretching: individualized
recommendations for healthy muscles. The Physician and
Sportsmedicine, Aug. 2000: Vol. 28, No. 8, pp1-10.
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