The great STRETCH debate - vote here

Awful BO wrote:

Depends on the event

Sprinters should stretch very little, because range of motion and free-ness of joints means very little. For sprinters its about explosiveness and power.

Marathoners need to be very free in motion to be most efficent. They should streach more.

Have you ever even met a runner or been to a track meet that is the most retarded comment of the day. Sprinters who don't stretch have a huge chance of injury due to the explosiveness of thier movements. Good luck with your stratagy though i just hope you aren't someones coach.

wow you are not smart wrote:

Awful BO wrote:

Depends on the event

Sprinters should stretch very little, because range of motion and free-ness of joints means very little. For sprinters its about explosiveness and power.

Marathoners need to be very free in motion to be most efficent. They should streach more.

Have you ever even met a runner or been to a track meet that is the most retarded comment of the day. Sprinters who don't stretch have a huge chance of injury due to the explosiveness of thier movements. Good luck with your stratagy though i just hope you aren't someones coach.

Sprinting also requires greater range of motion, so I would think stretching dynamically and through static stretching would help.

b) 5-10 Minutes daily.

b) 1, but it wasn't stretching related -- I stepped on the edge of a sidewalk (my foot more than half hanging off the sidewalk) and tore a tendon in my ankle.

a/b - less than 5 a day

b - 1 stretching-related injury (strained calf), should have stretched my hammies more

1. b)

2. a)

1) Zero stretching

2) One injury

I actually start to get sore and tight if I stretch

41 yrs old

Like most everything about training to improve the overall ATHLETE, the distance running scene is about 20 years behind other sports.

You are always stretching muscles to a certain degree and always tightening muscles to a certain degree. This is how imbalances occur and how after 10-15 years of consistent running you "all of a sudden" are more tight, sore, and injured or you are always "working through issues".

The conventional thinking about stretching is wrong. Static stretching can do more harm than good unless you have a pre-existing issue. Dynamic movement is more effective.

1. Deep walking lunges: Take big step forward. Lunge down and forward while keeping back leg straight. Keep forward food on heel and back foot on toes. As you lunge down you should aim for your front hamstring to touch your front calf completely. You won't be able to do this as you are too tight and likely have an anterior pelvic tilt. To solve this place your front foot on a 4in rise. Alternate lunging with the right and left leg. Repeat 10 times.

2. Lying Leg pointers: Lay on your back with hands out to sides and legs straight down, like the letter "T". Bring left leg straight toward ceiling and swing it over to your right hand. You won't be able to swing it over to touch your right hand. Your hips are extremely tight. Alternate swing leg leg to right hand and right leg to left hand. Repeat 10 times.

3. Lying Knee pointers: Lay on back as above in the letter "T". This time bend your knees. Now take both knees and swing them to the left, then to the right. Repeat 10 times.

4. Elbow to Instep: Similar to a walking lunge with on caveat: Lunge forward, bring front elbow to front instep. So, if lunging with the right leg forward bring the elbow of right side down toward instep. Again, you won't be able to meet elbow to instep. You are too tight. Repeat for 10 steps.

5. Butt Kickers, High Knees, A-skips, Straight Leg skips, etc: All of these drills improve functional flexibility.

Static stretching is flawed because it is not dynamic. Your body functions through dynamic movement...not static stretching.

In HS we did static stretches. I guess everyone did back then. We got in a circle and went through the routine every day. I never had a significant injury, but I was young, strong, and limber so who knows if that had anything to do with injury prevention. (Personally I think the main thing it did was it gave our coach time to talk to us about the run/ work out and got all the kids out of school mode and into running mode.)

In college we did mostly active stretches and drills. Recently I went to my first HS track meet in years and noticed just about every kid does the same stuff. Bounding, skips, high knees, butt kicks... I didn't see one kid doing the ol' hurdlers stretch or anything like I used to see in my HS days.

1) A

2) C

I went my Junior and Senior year of high school without getting injured. However, since I graduated (June '08) I've had to take time off due to injuries three times.

c) 30+ minutes 3 x week + 4 x week 20 min. agility exercises

A) when stretching and agility B) when not

Out of season I stretch three times a day for about 35-45 min. total. In season I stretch about 4-5 times a day for a total of about 55-75 min. This not only decreases the chance of injury but also betters your performance. Although streching before you run is not necessary, active streching would be best before a run. Streching after a run is very necessary though. I have had no injuries that have kept me from running since I started doing this about 2-3 years ago.

1) B 2) B

I stretch for 10 min before I run. I think it is very important. My suspicion is that stretching becomes more important as you get older for injury prevention.

1) A (no stretching)

2) A (no injuries)

1) B

2) B

1)A

2)A

stretching is stupid...Arent there any studies that would prove stretching helpful or harmful????????? If so someone should post up links and more discussion should follow

1.C

2.C

Static stretching = No

Dynamic stretching = Yes

The ONLY time I ever static stretch is when I am feeling sore. Other than that I do dynamic stretching before track workouts. Before an everyday easy run or long run, I never stretch.

1. a or b or c. Sometimes I stretch for 15 min + in a day, sometimes less, sometimes not at all

2. a, except for an occasional day or two here and there after an ache or pain.

Possibly a better survey would also ask how many have injured themselves or aggrevated injuries by stretching. I did a number on my hamstring doing active isolated stretching.

In these lunges are you suggesting that your knee NOT be in a straight line with your ankle, that it is pointing more over your toes? That goes against everything I've ever heard about lunges. Other than that, #1, 2 and 4 presented no problems and are basic moves in yoga classes, so if runners are implementing some yoga-type stretches, chances are they WILL be able to do these.