Stretching the Truth - The Truth about Stretching
November 04, 2008
Here's a great article with some of the latest thinking on the subject of stretching. Does stretching before working out help you or hurt you? Some of the newest evidence indicates it hurts more than it helps. Check out the article in the New York Times.
I concur with some of the article and subsequent links. The hurdler stretch for example I always found only made my knees hurt and did nothing for my flexibility. But then again I've always been flexible. I have to do some static stretches a couple times a day though whether I work out or not for my back and sciatic nerve damage. But I concur that a lot of the preworkout stretches and vigorous aerobic exercises is only torture and makes one too tired to do the real work out very effectively. For me it has often even sparked painful headaches. That's why I'm so glad I found you when I decided to return to martial arts, my body simply can't take that jump around like a monkey, and punch boards way of TKD anymore.
Posted by: Rob | November 09, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Stretching creates the wrong idea about movement. It sets up the stretcher with the concept of inherent limitations that must be removed. It's very anti-internal.
Simple body weight exercises and range-of-motion explorations increase real flexibility. Real flexibility included strength throughout a range of motion, not creating flaccid tendons or tissues.
That's my 2 cents. Peace.
Posted by: Steven | December 05, 2008 at 09:47 AM