Stretching the truth

You have always stretched before exercise or any physical activity because you always do what you are taught, and that’s what’s always been taught about stretching. But as inevitable with science, along comes a new study (actually a mega study, which searched the results of 361 previous scientific reports on the subject) and the results will certainly upset your apple cart. No, Virginia, stretching before exercise apparently does not prevent injury and furthermore, stretching itself does not warm you up.

So, what do you do in place of stretching? Interestingly enough, experts now say that doing the intended activity at about 50 percent of target intensity is the key. That will both warm you up, get the blood flowing through the muscles and then, perhaps, prevent injury. Even if you just like to stretch, it may not do you any good unless you do it consistently, every day. That, say the experts, will strengthen tissues and improve performance.

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