To stretch or not to stretch—that is the question!

American Fitness, July-August, 2004 by Meg Jordan

Whether or not to stretch before and after exercise has long been debated in sports medicine circles. When AFAA began in 1983, the founding advisors and instructors got together and deliberated on the subject. As a result, the Basic Exercise Standards and Guidelines presented views from decades of teaching experience and the latest science at the time. It was decided that a prudent exerciser should mildly stretch areas that feel tight and stiff before engaging in what was then called high-impact aerobics--a lot of jumping and jarring exercises. Combining mild stretching with some easy rhythmic limbering to warm up the muscles and boost circulation became the hallmark of an AFAA warm-up. Examples of easy stretches for the mid- and lower-back as well as the hamstrings and calves were offered. This just made sense according to physical education specialists, aerobic instructors and exercise physiologists in the early 1980s.

Every few years, the Standards and Guidelines are reviewed by a national board of experts and scientists. Surprisingly, the standards don't change that much. But the topic that always comes up for debate is whether stretching alone, before and after exercise, is enough to prevent injury. Now ACSM weighs in with some new evidence. In the March 2004 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers examined decades of scientific evidence and cautioned that stretching may not be enough to prevent injuries. Here is their official word:

"The use of stretching primarily as a way to prevent sports injury has been based on intuition and observation, rather than scientific evidence," says lead researcher Stephen B. Thacker, M.D. "The best advice is to include a combination of warm-up, strength training, plyometrics and balance exercises to lessen injury risks."

The research team reviewed over 350 scientific studies and articles that examined the relationship between stretching and injuries in the past four decades. While the evidence shows stretching is important in increasing muscle and joint flexibility, in most cases researchers found little-to-no relationship between stretching and injuries or post exercise pain.

"Most injuries occur during muscle contractions within the normal range of joint motion anyway," says Thacker, "so it's unclear how increasing the range of motion through stretching would decrease injury risk." In addition, Thacker and his team point to some evidence that stretching prior to an athletic event may actually compromise elite athletes' performance.

"We are not suggesting athletes discontinue flexibility training and stretching altogether," Thacker continues, "but that athletes, coaches, trainers and others look critically at preparticipation and training routines to ensure they include all the activities which, when combined, can enhance safety and performance. This might include activities such as a proper warm-up or strength, plyometric and balance training."

The research team concludes that, while there is currently insufficient evidence to endorse or discontinue routine stretching to prevent injury, future research should be performed to examine the role of stretching in injury prevention for both recreational and competitive athletes. Studies are needed to determine the optimal timing (pre- or post exercise) and any optimal levels of flexibility of specific muscle groups for each sport or activity.

Now, did that clear things up for you?

In other words, you know what the active portion of your class is going to require of your clients' bodies. Prepare for that during your warm-up with the most appropriate types of movements. The warm-up is obviously a continuously evolving science!