Q & A Library

I've never advocated stretching before exercise, and now results of a new study suggest that stretching doesn't prevent workout-related injuries. Epidemiologists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed 350 earlier studies on flexibility, stretching, and injury prevention. They concluded that no evidence demonstrates that stretching prevents injuries. One of the studies the researchers evaluated compared injury rates among two groups of young Australian Army recruits. Both groups did warm-up exercises before physical training, but one did an additional 20 minutes of leg stretching. After 12 weeks, recruits in both groups had about the same rate of injuries.

The CDC researchers suggested that future studies attempt to define normal flexibility for various activities and try to identify the best stretching routine and determine when it should be performed. They also suggested that future research investigate the best ways to prevent injuries among people of different age groups and athletic abilities. Their study results were published in the March 2004 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Medicine.

Instead of stretching, the best way to warm up for a workout is to do a slower version of the exercise you're about to perform: if you run, walk, then jog to warm up. If you plan to walk, start off slowly, not at full speed. And if you're doing strength-training exercises, start off with lighter weights, using slow, deliberate form with enough repetitions to get used to each movement. Then, move on to heavier weights.

Although stretching may not prevent injuries, it does improve flexibility, lengthen muscle tissue, improve posture and body awareness and helps neutralize stress. For best results, stretch after your workout when your muscles are warm and most elastic.

Andrew Weil, M.D.