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We have all heard that warming
up and stretching before you play a sport will prevent injuries.
Did you however know that this has never been proven through research.
There is no scientific proof that stretching before a game or
exercise will alleviate the chances of sustaining that year ending
hamstring injury. As an Athletic Therapist, I have been asking
athletes to stretch before exercise, because I think it may help,
although there is no proof. One reason why many believe that the
typical stretching (static stretching is holding a stretched position
for 20-30 seconds) does not help prior to exercise is the lack
of increased blood flow. When you hold the stretch for a prolonged
period, you are increasing the length of the muscle but not the
blood flow. The first thing that happens when you step out on
the street, is the muscles need a sudden surge of oxygen enriched
blood. Static stretching does not do this, but dynamic stretching
will.
Dynamic stretching, according
to Thomas Kurz, Personal Trainer "involves moving parts of
your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or
both." Dynamic stretching is a relatively new term that incorporates
both increasing the muscle extensibility and blood flow prior
to a work-out. It involves taking a limb (shoulder, hip, etc.)
and repeatedly moving it back and forth or side to side about
8-15 times. For examples of dynamic hip stretching, see the figures
below. The athlete will need to be careful to not get fatigued
while doing the exercise. If the athletes starts to get tired,
the stretching should be stopped and take a few minutes to cool
down. More repetitions will only fatigue the nervous regulation
of the muscles' length and may cause you to lose some of your
flexibility. It may be easier to start with just 8 repetitions
and work your way up to 15. It is also recommended that you start
the movement off slowly and work your way up to maximum range
of motion.
Dynamic stretching
is not to be confused with ‘Ballistic stretching’. Ballistic stretching
involves taking the stretch to its maximum length and bouncing
repeatedly. The danger with this exercise is that it may cause
microscopic tears within the muscle fibers, which in turn may
cause future injuries to the whole muscle. Therefore this form
of stretching is not recommended for many athletes. In dynamic
stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements.
Types
of Dynamic Stretching:
Leg Swings (Front
and Back)
- Stand sideways to the wall
with one hand holding onto it. The leg should be slightly bent.
- Swing your opposite leg in
front of you until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and
then behind you until you feel a stretch in your hip flexors.
- Repeat 8-15 times per leg
Leg Swings (Side
to Side)
- Stand on one leg with a slightly
bent knee, facing the wall.
- Swing your opposite leg out
to the side until you feel a stretch in your groin and then
across your body until you feel a stretch in your side hip or
gluts..
- Try to keep your hips facing
forwards
- Repeat 8-15 times per leg
Do not let someone
tell you that there is only one way to stretch a muscle or that
this is the only way for you to do it. I always recommend to my
athletes to do a warm-up before their activity, but do what they
feel comfortable with. If one athlete likes to take 20 minutes
before a run, ride the bike and do several static stretches, then
that is their prerogative. If another does nothing before the
big game because they feel it tires them out and doesn’t keep
them focused, then that is their opinion also. Dynamic stretching
is just one of many ways to warm-up prior to any activity. If
it works for you, great, if not, at least you tried.
If you have any
questions or would like to see someone at Club Physio Plus, click
here and call/e-mail us.
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