I admittedly have not emphasized the importance of stretching enough when writing about fitness over the years. And, because I have always been very flexible (thanks to my dance/ gymnastics and cheerleading days) I didn’t always spend a whole lot of time incorporating a stretching program into my own workouts either.
Over a decade ago when I was studying for my American College of Sports Medicine certification I learned flexibility was one of the five components of physical fitness (the other four being cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance and a healthy body mass) but again, because I had always been very flexible I put stretching for flexibility way down on my exercise “to do” list. It wasn’t until I had two major hip surgeries and went through over 6 months of rehab that I really began to appreciate firsthand how important a regular stretching routine could be.
The Importance of Stretching Increases If You Strength Train
If you have read any of my books or you happen to be a regular reader of Clean Cuisine and More you’ll notice strength training is something I emphasize a lot in my workouts. However, for all the benefits a strength training program provides (fat loss, increased bone density, improved glucose tolerance, improved insulin sensitivity, etc.) a negative consequence to strength training programs is that they can create short, tight muscles that can draw bones closer together which can eventually result in pain, muscle tension and even misalignment. Balancing your strength training workouts with a regular stretching routine can help offset these potential issues.
The Importance of Stretching for Alignment, Good Posture and a Supple Body
A stretching program can help bring alignment to the joints of your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Keep in mind, when your body is properly aligned inflammation of the joints is reduced and mobility is increased. If you have super tight muscles that are holding your body in a restricted position then your joints are going to become less mobile and lose their natural lubrication (synovial fluid), which results in pain and stiffness. A consistent stretching program can do absolute wonders for improving range of motion and relieving stiffness, thus improving how you feel and even how you look. Regular stretching can prevent and reduce muscle imbalances, prevent injuries, improve structural problems and help you achieve beautiful posture and a supple, healthy-looking and properly aligned body.
S-T-R-E-T-C-H it out AFTER you exercise…
For the record, I don’t recommend you stretch before a workout. The best and safest way to prepare for a workout is to warm up your muscles with dynamic movements that get your heart pumping and blood flowing. Save the stretching for AFTER your workout. Stretching after a workout it will assist your body in releasing lactic acid from the muscle cells faster and more efficiently so free radicals and other toxins can quickly be escorted from your body. You can almost think of stretching as a form of post-exercise detox because it helps your body get rid of waste products faster. And of course stretching improves circulation and increases blood flow to your muscles which speeds muscle recovery after exercise. You are much less likely to experience soreness if you stretch your muscles after a workout.
Stretching for Pain Relief Takes Time
As mentioned above, simply stretching for pain relief can be enough of a reason to stretch. Over the years I have tried a number of alternative therapies for relieving my hip pain (and referred back pain) and for me, stretching was super helpful. One of the reasons stretching can help with pain is that it improves blood flow to the muscles and helps relieve the muscular tension that causes pain. And anybody who has experienced chronic pain knows that pain and muscular tension go hand in hand; it is absolutely essential to relieve muscular tension if you have chronic pain. But relieving muscular tension isn’t something that can be accomplished in 5 seconds.
You can’t just do a runners stretch for 10 seconds and then a few 15 second calf-stretches and expect pain-relief results from your stretch routine. To get results stretching for pain relief—or just results from a stretching routine in general– you really need to hold the stretch for a good amount of time, generally at least 45 seconds to 1 minute and, depending on the issue, sometimes even longer.
I think a big mistake people make with stretching and one of the reasons they don’t get whatever results they are going for is because they rush through their stretches and don’t devote the time it takes to really lengthen the muscles.
In order to get results with stretching you really need to hold each stretch for a good 45 seconds to 1 minute, sometimes even more. It takes time to elongate a muscle safely so you absolutely can’t race through your stretches.
Also, you should never ever stretch to the point of pain; you should feel tension while stretching but never pain. The key to lengthening muscle groups is to keep the tension continuous, all the while slowly going deeper into the stretch, which can be accomplished by making subtle positional changes while holding the stretch. Just remember to never ever “bounce”; keep your stretching static and breathe deeply to relax your body and ease tension while you are stretching.
Too Flexible?
Most people don’t have a problem with being hypermobile or overly flexible so I’m not going to linger on this issue too long. But for some people, such as dancers and gymnasts, I believe being hyper flexible can in fact be a problem.
You absolutely do NOT need to be as flexible as a dancer or gymnast for the purpose of being in shape or being functionally fit. And certainly hyper-flexible dancers and gymnasts are not exactly known for being “pain free” later in life either. In fact, former dancers and gymnasts are well known in athletic circles for having chronic pain when they get older.
The point is the goal with a stretching routine should not be to try and be as flexible as a ballet dancer. You don’t need to turn yourself into Gumby in order to be functionally fit. If you are already super flexible and you have pain you might want to consider consulting with a knowledgeable trainer and working on core stability and strength to help counteract or “balance” your hypermobility. Keep in mind, if you are ultra-flexible your muscles are likely working overtime to stabilize your joints.
Learn to Listen To Your Body
I can’t emphasize the importance of listening to your body enough. If you have chronic pain you have to experiment with what works for you and you have to continue to try different approaches and seek help from different health care professionals—massage therapists, personal trainers, physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, etc. can all be helpful IF you find a good one.
Most important, learn to tune into your body and pay attention to what works for you. And keep in mind, when it comes to all forms of exercise, including stretching, it should never ever be painful. Exercise and stretching should feel good.
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Thanks Ivy. Best of luck with your testing, strengthening and pain relief. Pam
How sweet, thank you Pam. I have to say, the hip ordeal has been just that…an ordeal. But I am hopeful all will be okay without a 2nd surgery. Thank you again! ivy
Your article on stretching is a great article packed full of useful information. Too often people do their stretching before their exercise because they think that it loosens them up, just in the past couple of years I learned from various exercise articles that you don’t do that, I like how you explained why that is in your article. I like to do Yoga as my stretch routine but sometimes I wonder about the positions they put you in and what they are really trying to stretch. After you explained what happened to you hip I was wondering is it possible to strain the labral tissue and not tear it? I looked up further information on it and I had a similar pain that you describe in that area for a little while so I took it easy with the exercises and it eventually went away in about a month, so obviously it wasn’t torn. I feel for you though and I hope you get better soon. I really enjoy your articles and your exercise so please keep up the posts.
Hi Frank, thanks so much for your positive feedback—I so appreciate it and I’m glad you liked the article. I’m so happy your hip pain issue is gone too!! And I agree, as much as I love yoga I am cautious about various yoga poses for sure. The best thing to do is listen to your body and never exercise in a way that is painful. Again, I can’t thank you enough for your comments. ivy
Since I started practicing Teakwando when I was around eleven years of age, and throughout my football playing days in high school and beyond, I have always stretched to maintain flexibility. But like the author, I did not truly appreciate its importance until I gradually lost my flexibility in my thirties and then rediscovered its wonders when I took up Yoga just a few years ago. Once I started doing yoga regularly, I recaptured a good amount of flexibility and as a result, more strength in my joints and an overall higher level of physical fitness.
Thank you posting this article, I have been telling my husband that you are not supposed to stretch before you work out because your muscles are cold and you could hurt yourself. But he didn’t believe me because as you well know that is what you did in Gym class in school and that is what they used to tell you to do in exercise classes etc. to warm up, was to stretch. I am going to print this article right now and show it to him so he can stop doubting me. I hope you find an alternative treatment for your injury, I really enjoy your work please keep posting new information for me to absorb.
So you aren’t supposed to stretch before you exercise? I thought that was how you were supposed to warm up your muscles before you got started. That was what they always taught us in school when you had gym. What about Yoga though, the whole exercise routine is stretching and you start out with cold muscle, I guess that is why the movements progress as you get into it. Oh well I guess learning it now is better than not learning that little bit of information and paying for it with a torn muscle or something. It sounds like your injury is very painful and I hope you can find some form of relief as soon as possible. Thanks for the advice and saving me a lot of pain in the future. I love your website it always has such great information.
I would like to clarify what one person said here, by responding with what I know to be fact. The part about stretching that may have been misunderstood may stem from the fact that you are not supposed to stretch a completely cold body, but you are supposed to stretch before you begin to engage in strenuous exercise. That may sound a bit confusing, but all you need to do is get the blood flowing to your muscles with light movements, followed by fifteen to twenty minutes of stretching and then you are ready to begin the intense stuff.
well said John! Thanks for chimming in…–ivy
Unfortunately for most people, they dismiss what are actually vital aspects of physical fitness, like stretching. They tend to think because they are details, that they are not important, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most people think running or weight lifting or the tread mill / step master are all they need to do to get or stay fit and they fail to realize that you need a diversified regimen that includes stretching, anaerobic conditioning (e.g. jump training, sprints) and a routine that promotes flexibility such as stretching and Yoga (yoga includes many flexibility poses). These are just as important as any other type of exercise. I learned this first by hearing it from a world class celebrity trainer and then I experienced the proof once I incorporated these into my fitness regimen.
Ivy, I am about 6 months pregnant and my doctor has been telling me that if I do stretches every day that my labor will not be as painful as it could be if I don’t do any stretches. Is that true? If I were to start a stretching routine on a daily basis from now until delivery would I get very much benefit out of it, I mean I only have three months left? And if I were to do that what kind of stretch routine would you suggest?
I really don’t know the importance of stretching until I stumbled this article. Before I just exercise directly and finished without stretching. So thanks for this I now know the importance of stretching.
I’d like to point out that stretching before weight training it’s not a good idea, save it for when you’re done or a day off. It’s been shown to have a negative effect on performance.
I never get tired of raving about the benefits of Yoga and how the routines consist of stretches that are great for improving flexibility. I cannot emphasize enough how Yoga helps in other areas of fitness as well. Most people who have never tried it might think that Yoga is a mild form of exercise that mainly focuses on stretching, but that is only one facet of how Yoga improves your body. It strengthens parts of your muscles that do not get worked via weight training and therefore actually makes you stronger. It also strengthens your core (abs and back) and that helps prevent back pain and injury. This supports what the author says in this article and I can attest to it because I have experienced all of these benefits myself.
Wow! Can stretching really do that. Well, I’ve been aiming about my back pains might as well try this maybe it’ll work.
Yet another great post by Clean Cuisine, I have always viewed stretching as a very important part of any exercise routine just simple to keep the joints lubricated and to prevent injury at the slightest wrong turn. This was a great post just like the Breast Cancer one I caught earlier today. You guys do great work and I hope you will continue. Do you happen to have any advice on fat loss exercises?
I noticed in the blog that underneath the very attractive young lady that it says you should stretch for a good 45 seconds to one minute. Is that the minimum amount of time you should give it, because I have notice that some exercise videos I do they don’t hold a stretch that long, they only hold them for about 10 to 12 seconds. I was extremely happy to see that you explained in your blog not to bounce when you stretch as well most people don’t realize that this could injure them not help them stretch further. Thank you for sharing such great information.
Thank you for sharing this blog about stretching and how important it is to do it after you exercise and not before. When I was in school I ran track and field for a couple of years and we would always stretch before we ran instead of jogging in place to warm up, and there used to be a lot of pulled or strained leg muscles, now it all makes sense. I appreciate you guys and all the blogs that you post are full of great information, I look forward to the next one.
Like the author, I too, used to be very flexible from my younger days in Karate and then sports in high school. I have always remained active in fitness, but it wasn’t until I got older and lost considerable flexibility that I started to focus on stretching again. I appreciate the detailed information this article provides, particularly, the effects on the muscles, bones, pain and stiffness and how flexibility contributes to a healthy body in more ways than the obvious. I know from experience that when I stretch after a workout, I get less soreness in my muscles, even the day after a vigorous, heavy weight lifting work out.
I think this article was great, now I know why so many people enjoy yoga, stretching feels good to your body. I hope your hip starts to feel better soon. I look forward to your next post, can you give us a clue what It will be about? I would really like to see more regarding exercise and fat burning if you happen to have any information on that. You guys are the best thanks for all your hard work.
Thank you for stressing the importance of stretching after you exercise or as an exercise, besides just feeling so darn good when you stretch it helps you as you age to stay mobile. You see all these people that as they age they start slowing down and they just can’t move like they used to. I think that if they would have incorporated stretching into their daily activities it would have helped their joints and muscles in the long run to stay mobile and arthritis free. Do you agree with that statement? I mean yes arthritis sometimes runs in your family so it is inevitable but I think some types are preventable. Is that a true statement or am I misled?
Those parents who may be planning on joining their kids on an evening of trick or treating may wish they had been practicing a fitness regimen in order to avoid fatigue from walking more than the usual amount. For those who are going out trick or treating, you may want to wear some good running shoes with support and cushion and you may want to lightly warm up your muscles and joints and stretch before and after your long trek. You won’t feel so sore the next day if you have to go to work. The author provides very good advice. We should heed it.
Your post about stretching was a much needed post about three weeks ago. I was stretching before I worked out and low and behold I strained a muscle, thank God I didn’t tear it but it still hurts. Don’t get me wrong your post was much needed now as well because if I hadn’t seen it I would have kept stretching before my work out and probably hurt myself worse next time. I just meant that I wished I had read this before I hurt myself this time. You have some really great information in your blogs I am going to have to check out your actual web site and see what else you are experts on. Thanks a bunch for the advice.
I have been at many different gyms and seen so many different people doing so many different types of workouts, from aerobics, to spinning, step master, life cycle and even weight lifting, And in all my years of going to the gym, I have never seen anyone, other than myself, take the time to stretch after an intense workout. I’ve seen some people stretch before a workout, but never after wards. I guess it is a natural human tendency to want to go home immediately after you finish your work out. Maybe that is why many people don’t like to work out. Maybe they are feeling more soreness because of their lack of stretching post work out.
Congratulations guys you have out done yourselves this time, this is absolutely great advice. I went for my walk this morning and realized that I usually don’t stretch afterward because it was only a walk, no big deal right. But today I paid special attention to my muscles after the walk and then I did a few stretches and oh my goodness the difference it made was out of this world. I never knew stretching could feel so good, guess what is now a major part of my work outs and yes even walks. Thanks again guys you are the best.