All stretching is a waste of time.

Reading your post was a waste of time.

So why do nearly all mammals stretch?

It rids me of IT issues, so I think it works.

frogwoman wrote:

It rids me of IT issues, so I think it works.

Awesome. I have been having some computer problems myself. I keep calling our IT guy, but I've never thought to try stretching. Are there any particular stretches that you find especially helpful for IT issues?

Ask a pro-dancer or martial artist to kick you round the head, then you'll see the benefit.

trollololol wrote:

So why do nearly all mammals stretch?

My dog knows exactly three different kind of stretches, one of them is the downward facing dog.

If I don't strech I get injured. Just because it's a waste of time to you doesn't mean it's for others.

a good study found no benefit to starting stretching...but if you already stretch injury rates go up if you stop.

Your average joe won't tend to notice much difference from stretching but someone training 5 times a week or more will.

Most of the studies into this take two groups of average people, train them for 3 months and see if there's much difference between the stretch group and the control group, which there invariably isn't because they're all slow as shit.

Stretching is good for flexibility, but most of us are already more than flexible enough to run.

If you need/desire the flexibility for reasons other than distance running, some forms of stretching are useful.

After my last running layoff due to a foot injury I had some pretty bad hip pain upon starting training again. It was to the point that I called and made an appointment with a PT to help get back to running.

Before the appointment I restarted a dynamic stretching routine someone had given me a couple years earlier. After just the first session my hip felt much better. After 7 - 10 days, my hip was pain free and I was able to ramp up my training.

Therefore, the OP's statement is false.

Just wait until you get older. I rarely stretched through my twenties, thirties, and early forties. Now I'm in my mid forties and man, do i feel tight. It's actually painful in my hamstrings my first half-mile or so. Also starting to have low-back issues.

"generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/reasons-not-to-stretch/?_r=0

"One, a study being published this month in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, concluded that if you stretch before you lift weights, you may find yourself feeling weaker and wobblier than you expect during your workout. Those findings join those of another new study from Croatia, a bogglingly comprehensive re-analysis of data from earlier experiments that was published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

Together, the studies augment a growing scientific consensus that pre-exercise stretching is generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive."

now hit me with some pro-stretching anecdotes.

I've never heard that pre-exercise stretching is good. I always stretch immediately after when the muscles are warm and loose.

agip wrote:

"generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/reasons-not-to-stretch/?_r=0

"One, a study being published this month in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, concluded that if you stretch before you lift weights, you may find yourself feeling weaker and wobblier than you expect during your workout. Those findings join those of another new study from Croatia, a bogglingly comprehensive re-analysis of data from earlier experiments that was published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

Together, the studies augment a growing scientific consensus that pre-exercise stretching is generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive."

now hit me with some pro-stretching anecdotes.

Cool, you should post that in a weight lifting forum...This is a running forum.

The problem with most stretching for running is that they are generally static stretches. But running is a dynamic exercise so the stretches should be dynamic ones.

All running at less than 100% effort is likewise a waist of time.

trollololol wrote:

agip wrote:

"generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/reasons-not-to-stretch/?_r=0

"One, a study being published this month in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, concluded that if you stretch before you lift weights, you may find yourself feeling weaker and wobblier than you expect during your workout. Those findings join those of another new study from Croatia, a bogglingly comprehensive re-analysis of data from earlier experiments that was published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

Together, the studies augment a growing scientific consensus that pre-exercise stretching is generally unnecessary and likely counterproductive."

now hit me with some pro-stretching anecdotes.

Cool, you should post that in a weight lifting forum...This is a running forum.

Stretching before you lift weights may make you "weaker and wobblier"? LOL. You mean like Rich Froning? What kind of weakling must you be to be weaker and wobblier from doing a few stretches before you work out. That is too funny!

agip wrote:

now hit me with some pro-stretching anecdotes.

Why are you so keen on tying to prove others wrong?

There are people who feel the benefits of stretching before and/or after running.

You can only be wrong when you tell people that what makes them feel better actually doesn't.

This doesn't even make sense.

Have you ever seen Kenyans train or race? Go and see if they stretch or not.

I guess they know a bit more about running than you do.

Oh and yes, stretching not only makes me feel better before and after running but it was also the only way I could get rid of a long-lasting injury.