Stretches Don’t Prevent Injuries

Author: Tommy Leung | 09/03/2008 | Fitness, Flexibility

I never stretch before a workout. I do warm up before a workout. There is a popular myth that claims stretching will help prevent us from injury during a workout. Every gym class I had in high school taught that you should always stretch before any physical activity. The stretches were mundane and didn’t feel like it did anything to prepare me for the coming activity.

It should come to no surprise that the stretching probably did nothing to prepare you or help prevent injuries in your workout. The right idea is to warm up. You want your muscles to be ready to do work. You are better off doing a quick job on the treadmill or some shadow boxing than stretching. You can also try a better warm up stretch. Doing warm up sets isn’t a bad idea either. The point is to prepare your muscles for the activity.

I do like to promote good flexibility so I would certainly encourage doing stretches after a workout or at other times throughout the day. As a precursor to your workout, it isn’t going to do much and could possibly have a negative effect.

By Tommy Leung