To stretch or not to stretch was the question posed in the
October installment of Beginners Beat. The story outlined a
novel approach to stretching that I'll call "dynamic
stretching." The technique is designed to stretch parts of the lower body
that runners typically miss. It also focuses on proper
stretching movements.
While stretching promises to provide us with an endless debate
in the world of running, one component of stretching that most
experts agree on is how to stretch.
Don't stretch cold.
This seems to make a lot of sense to me, and while I don't
stretch routinely, when I do, I ensure my muscles are warmed up
a bit first.
Let's look at this practically. If muscles are stiff and cold
to begin with, launching into an aggressive stretching routine
could potentially do more harm than good.
So, if you are about to stretch right before a run, you might
think about actually starting with some brisk walking or light
jogging. Spend a few minutes warming up the muscles, then get
down to the stretching business.
If you are doing some maintenance stretching in the living room
or at the gym, shake out your muscles to get the blood flowing
or use a little walking as your pre-stretch warm up.