Stretching & Mobility
The Great Debate surrounding Stretching and Mobility and when the heck to do it!
There’s a lot of discussion in the fitness and wellness industry as if you should be stretching before and after a session. This is because the consumer wants to help aim with recovery, sporting performance and reduction of injury risk. However it seems like this is things that it doesn’t appear to help at all.
First let us define some of the key terminology.
Mobility: The point where two bones meet (joint) is able to move actively through its full range of movement (ROM).
Flexibility: The ability for soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons passively stretch to their end range.
Static Stretching: Holding a muscle to its end ROM for an extended time.
Dynamic Stretching: Actively moving a muscle or holding for a short period of time through end ranges.
Now we’ve got that out of the way,
Should you be stretching before a training session?
After reviewing a few studies and meta-analysis (studies of other studies) of the subject, it shows that static stretching before a session doesn’t improve in terms of performance. Static Stretching has been shown to reduce performance in on strength following a bout of stretching.
Some studies show that doing dynamic stretching improves performance slightly (by 1%) however they are unable to confirm whether or not this is due to increased blood flow to the muscle prior to the training session.
Although this might not matter to the general population, this could however be useful to elite athletes.
What about stretching when it comes to increasing Range of Movement?
Increasing your range of movement (ROM) and the flexibility of a joint is important for not only athletic performance but also everyday activities such as walking. Lack of ROM on a joint is usually associated with a greater risk of muscular injury.
This is generally due to the amount of force absorption required from a joint.
Overall, there a balance between increasing a joints ROM and keeping the required muscle stiffness thats needed for performance.
When is comes to athletic performance, I would be focusing on making sure you are managing your volume appropriately within your program, walking regularly, managing sleep, stress and actually getting your nutrition dialled in.
In saying all of this, stretching and also be used as a great way to help with stress reduction when combined with breathing techniques. I would just be leaving it to a seperate session overall.
Can I still do static stretching?
Sure you can still do static stretching, however I would do this post training or in a seperate session. I would be focusing more on dynamic stretching pre-workout.
If you want to improve your range of motion, this is where you should practice this whilst lifting through end range of motions.
Of course, you should never stretch or mobilise to the point of causing pain, there however might be a slight amount of discomfort.
If you’re looking for a Personalised Mobility and Stretching Routine I am now offering Athletic Assessments.
We will go through a Functional Movement Screen, have a look at your training and a full health overview. You can book this online through the booking system below. Your program will be delivered via an interactive app.
If you’d like more information please send me an email