everyone says stretching is simple but people are still making these mistakes

“Why do I easily get injured while running?”, “Why do I feel sore all over after running?”, “Why do I get so out of breath while running?”... Many beginner runners often ask such questions. And the most common answer they receive is—lack of pre-run stretching.

Indeed, stretching is a very effective pre-exercise warm-up activity, which is why various “stretching routines” have emerged. But in fact, not all stretching exercises are effective, and pre-exercise stretching is not a cure-all.

Many runners tend to overlook the importance of pre-exercise stretching, and even if they don't, they often fall into some misconceptions. Today, I will list the most common “exercise stretching” mistakes made by runners.

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Mistake 1: Pre-exercise“Seated Forward Bend” Stretch

The seated forward bend is one of the most basic and common stretching exercises.From elementary school to university, all physical education teachers teach students to do this stretch. But did you know that stretching before exercise can actually have a significant impact on subsequent performance?

Dr. David Behm, a biomechanics expert from Canada, published an article in the European Journal of Applied Physiology indicating that clinical trials show that static stretches like the “seated forward bend” can limit a runner's ability to stride and jump.

Dr. Behm stated:“Under the same conditions, the seated forward bend stretch causes the muscles in the hips and thighs to lose elasticity, reducing their strength when you stride, push off, or jump.”As a result, this type of stretching can cause runners to fatigue prematurely, significantly reducing endurance and running performance.

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Mistake 2: Stretching can prevent muscle injuries

In most cases, muscle strains during training are blamed on “not doing enough pre-run stretching.” In fact, most pre-run stretches do not significantly reduce the risk of muscle strains.

In 1999, Ian Shrier published an article in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, revealing through a follow-up study that pre-exercise stretching does not reduce the probability of muscle injuries in both amateur and professional athletes.Only among female cyclists did the study find that post-stretching, the probability of groin strains was reduced.

According to this research, pre-exercise stretching is “ineffective” in preventing injuries because it does not help with the overextension of certain muscles during activities like running;Secondly, the memory of muscle compliance from stretching is short-lived, so when stress is applied to the muscles during exercise, the prior stretching does not help.

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Mistake 3: Pre-run stretching can prevent muscle soreness

If you do 15 minutes of stretching before exercise to avoid post-exercise muscle soreness, I'm sorry to tell you that you are wasting your time.Some pre-run stretches can actually mask muscle pain, causing athletes to perform movements without caution.

Rob Herbert, a physiotherapist from the University of Sydney, published an article in the British Medical Journal in 2002, showing that pre-exercise stretching has almost zero effect on alleviating muscle soreness within 24 hours.

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Mistake 4: Stretching before strength training

Many fitness enthusiasts believe that static stretching is important before strength training. In fact, while static stretching before a workout can lengthen tendons, it can also make muscles more prone to injury, especially during exercises like deadlifts and weightlifting.

Stretching can even compromise key stability to some extent, causing unnecessary wobbling under load and leading to injuries.

Dr. Stephen Tucker, an expert in sports and diseases, confirmed these conclusions in an article in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. However, he also emphasized that many issues regarding stretching and injuries remain unresolved, but it is certain that stretching does not significantly help prevent injuries during weight training.

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Mistake 5: Pre-exercise “ballistic” stretching

Besides static and dynamic stretching, there is another type of stretching known as “ballistic” stretching. This type of stretching is quite aggressive, using explosive force to rapidly and repeatedly stretch the muscles like a pendulum.

The most common ballistic stretch is bending forward from a standing position to touch the toes, then quickly bouncing back to the original position, and then bending forward again.

Many people believe that this type of stretching makes it easier to loosen up the body, but ballistic stretching often leads to muscle strains due to the difficulty in controlling the force. In many American college sports programs, this type of stretching has been banned.

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So, how should you stretch?

After reading about these 5 misconceptions, many people may wonder, what should you do before exercising?Dynamic stretching before exercise and static stretching after exercise are more beneficial.

Dynamic stretching before exercise

Dynamic stretching is more recommended before running or exercising.“Dynamic stretching” not only fully activates the joints and muscle groups but also helps increase muscle temperature, heart rate, and flexibility, putting the body in a ready state for the upcoming exercise.

For example, jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, and side shuffles are common exercises. It is recommended to first lightly move all the joints, then perform about ten minutes of dynamic stretching. Once your heart rate increases and you start to sweat slightly, you can begin your workout.

Static stretching after exercise

“Static stretching” is more useful after exercise. It helps return the shortened muscles during exercise to their original length, accelerates the recovery of muscle elasticity, reduces soreness, and prevents injuries, making muscle lines more elongated.

If you don't properly stretch your muscles after exercise, the muscle fibers may become shorter and more pronounced, requiring more time to stretch them back to their original slender shape.

In short, as long as you follow the “dynamic, exercise, static” sequence, adhering to dynamic stretching, exercising, and then static stretching, you will find your workouts more effective and enjoyable.