20 Dec To Stretch or Not to Stretch?

Have you always heard that you should take time to stretch out your muscles before working out?  If so, you may be surprised to hear that some experts are now saying that stretching before a workout does not help prevent muscle soreness and that it may not even be necessary. 

According to a recent study, stretching before exercising only reduced the amount of soreness participants experienced one day after their workout by less than 0.5 on a 100 point scale.  When stretching after the workout, participants only experienced reduced soreness by 1 point on a 100 point scale.  When evaluating soreness three days and four days after exercise, the researchers found similar results.

So, what is the right thing to do?  Should you stretch out before you hop on your elliptical trainer or treadmill, or should you skip it altogether?  Although there is a debate in the exercise world regarding whether or not stretching is necessary, there is no doubt that stretching beforehand does not cause any harm.  In addition, stretching in general is a good component to include in any workout routine, as it helps keep your ligaments flexible.  Unless you are really strapped for time, there is certainly nothing wrong with adding stretching before or after your regular workout routine.