Stretching for injury prevention. Overrated. Yep..I said it.

Just because your PE lessons started with a few rubbish stretches does not mean you need to still do them...be free my friend. You are not at school anymore.

Recent research challenges the long-held belief that stretching before exercise effectively prevents injuries. Several studies have found that pre-exercise stretching offers little to no benefit in reducing injury risk and may even impair performance.​ For instance, a review published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine concluded that stretching before exercise does not prevent injuries. 

Similarly, the Mayo Clinic (The place that convinces you that you are going to die in 5mins) reports that over the past couple of decades, static stretching has not been found to significantly reduce the risk of injury.

And the final nail in the coffin. Furthermore, an article in PainScience.com states that a 2005 review found stretching had no effect in reducing injuries, regardless of the quality of the studies reviewed.

So basically stretching is pretty pants for injury work. So next time your PT or yourself finds yourself using up time doing static stretching to prevent some injury you don't even have yet, stop..

So let's use stretching in a better way. The name is Dynamic stretching (or the stretching we do in clinic).

Let's stop the silly PE like stretches we just half-heartedly do before our session.

Follow this simple routiene Dynamic Stretching (Before Exercise)

• What it is: Controlled, movement-based stretches (like leg swings, arm circles, walking lunges).

• Why it helps: Warms up muscles, increases range of motion, activates the nervous system.

• Evidence: A 2011 meta-analysis found dynamic stretching improved performance in strength, power, and endurance activities Static Stretching (After Exercise)

  • What it is: Slow, sustained holds done when the body is warm.

  • Why it helps: Helps maintain or improve flexibility over time, reduces muscle tension.

  • Note: Doesn’t prevent acute injuries but may help reduce long-term imbalances that lead to injury.
    

Basically stretching has it place, yes I know....but save yourself time if you are stretching to hopefully prevent some injury you're convincing yourself you have.

In clinic we do this: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching

• What it is: Combines stretching and contracting the muscle group (usually with a partner or tool).

• Why it helps: Shown to improve range of motion more effectively than static or dynamic stretching.

• Evidence: PNF has been validated in studies for improving flexibility and potentially reducing injury risk if done properly

Plan the time you have carefully...the gym can be pretty boring...right? So use that time well.

Book in a great stretching session at my clinic in Saffron walden Assisted Clinical Stretching | Apex Recovery Room