Stretching Do's and Don'ts 2.0

Stretching is a largely misunderstood term. People stretch for different reasons whether it's too rehab your body, prepare for exercise, relax, gain flexibility, or just because they enjoy it. There are also many different forms of stretching, some that are safe and effective, and others that are dangerous and outdated. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to stretch, stretching can be a really healthy activity if you are doing is correctly. In my previous stretching post Stretching Do's and Don'ts I talked about the difference between Dynamic stretching and Static stretching and how they are currently being utilized in athletes. Let's do a little refresher on that:

Dynamic stretching is when you move your body through a comfortable range of motion to help warm up the muscles, lubricate the joints, and awaken neuromuscular connections (get your brain involved). This is not to be confused with Ballistic stretching which is an archaic means of stretching were you swing your limbs past the point of comfort with the intention of increasing flexibility. Ballistic stretching is dangerous and ineffective. Dynamic stretching also won't increase flexibility.

Here, Nina demonstrates a popular dynamic stretch for warming up the lower body with focus on the hip flexor and hamstrings. This stretch is useful for many activities, especially those that include running, skating, climbing, and swimming.

Use a wall or a partner for support while you gently swing your leg forward and back 10 times. Switch legs and repeat. You can also turn to face the wall and swing your leg side to side to warm up your outside hip and groin.

Hamstring Stretch

Static Stretching is the most common type of stretching. You will find this style of stretching in many yoga classes, on sports teams, and prescribed by physiotherapists and kinesiologists. It is when you hold a position for about 30 seconds without bouncing or pulsing. The idea is to move your body to a place where you feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until the muscle(s) relax slightly. If you stretch daily after exercise you will notice increased flexibility in that muscle over time, and decreased
muscle soreness.

Hip Flexor Stretch

If you are stretching as a part of injury rehab or prevention, READ THIS next paragraph:

There is growing evidence to support that the most optimal way to static stretch is to hold the stretch, just at the point where you feel a gentle tension in the muscle but no sharp pain, for 30-60 seconds, rest, then repeat 5-10 times. By holding the stretch any longer or deeper (as in some types of yoga) you may overstretch your muscle which puts your joint at risk and may damage your ligaments, or it may actually cause the muscle to try to protect itself from overstretching by contracting and tearing.


Stretching should be an enjoyable experience and a part of everyone's exercise routine. Relaxing and breathing should be a big part of it. Having modest flexibility helps to keep your joints healthy by lubricating them and feeding them nutrients. As you age you will have less muscle injury and a lower incidence of arthritis. Stretching the muscles helps to flush out waste products from exercise and decrease muscle soreness. Technically you can just move your body into a place where you feel a stretch for it to work, but it is important to be aware of body mechanics to stretch safely. The body likes to move in specific directions so keep those in mind as you stretch, or you can take the guesswork out of it and have a professional teach you tried and true safe stretches. And be aware that having too much flexibility is not a good thing either.

If you want to know how to safely stretch a particular muscle or group of muscles please feel free to comment on this post or contact me directly.