As a personal trainer Solana Beach, I've got a wide range of knowledge about exercising. Many people in our culture believe that stretching is an important part of the overall fitness routine. For quite a few years I have been under that same impression myself. I would always stretch before each basketball game and training session, before weight training and before just about every physical fitness activity that was even moderately strenuous. I personally chose to quit stretching all together on the mid to late 1990's, and no longer view stretching as beneficial. I've come to the conclusion that with the majority of us, additional stretching is not required and it is often at a complete waste of time.
First let me define what I'm referring to when I mentioned "stretching". Stretching involves pulling a muscle and/or tendon and/or ligament into a position going beyond its active range of flexibility. The majority of stretching protocols involve holding this stretched position for a number of seconds right before releasing the stretch.
In my opinion people often think it's necessary to stretch for one or each of the particular reasons. They think stretching out helps avert injury. They believe that it is healthy to be extremely flexible and every person should aim to become as flexible as possible.
As far as the thought of avoiding injury, there were quite a few researches looking at the efficiency of stretching to prevent injury. Surprisingly, the research has shown that stretching out doesn't help to prevent injury. In as much as I noticed, this conclusion isn't controversial in the research community. On average the groups in studies that stretch just before physical exertion end up sustaining likewise many injuries like the groups that do not stretch prior to the exact same activities so, injury prevention is not a very good reason to take time stretching.
(Warm up before strenuous physical activity is probably important for injury prevention. In the recent article for this particular newsletter I discussed how the first repetitions of a set of slow-motion strength training repetitions are a very efficient warm up for the subsequent more challenging repetitions. However, the evidence shows that adding stretching to help warm-up doesn't provide any benefit.)
Regarding the issue of whether achieving extreme amounts of flexibility is healthy or not, understand that probably about 95% of the population is already flexible enough for the activities they would like to do. Most of us are not hampered by our current ranges of joint motion. So gaining extra flexibility will not help most of us. On the other hand, there is a little minority of people who require additional flexibility - people involved in activities where it is necessary to get extremely flexible. Examples will be gymnasts, ballerinas, and fighting techniques enthusiasts. If you're involved in activities that participate in unusual ranges of motion around the joints (just like the activities mentioned), a stretching program to achieve additional flexibility can be handy. Keep in mind, though, that many people do not fall under that category.
Furthermore, I'd argue that it is not necessarily healthy to gain extreme amounts of flexibility around your joints. High amounts of flexibility leads to increased joint laxity and also a less stable joint. This is certainly not desirable for joint health. Unreliable evidence for this is the fact that many retired gymnasts have significant lingering joint injuries that were brought on by their sport, despite achieving extreme levels of flexibility as they were competing. Obtaining extreme joint flexibility didn't prevent these gymnasts' injuries, and several people hypothesize that much joint flexibility (as well as the resultant excess joint laxity and joint instability) may be a contributing cause of the joint injuries.
Personally, I came across the arguments refuting the potency of stretching during the mid 1990's, and decided to cease my own stretching routine. When I stopped stretching, nothing happened - I did not incur additional or fewer injuries, my physical performance wasn't better or worse, and nothing else of note took place on account of quitting stretching. The stretching I'd been doing appeared to have been a relative waste of time to me, and now I don't spend time with that anymore.
So here are my recommendations being a personal trainer Solana Beach. If you are involved in a physical activity that requires unusual ranges of motion on your joints (such as gymnastics, martial arts, etc.), stretching can help you get and maintain above normal amounts of joint flexibility for your chosen endeavor. But if you are like most us and don't need unusual ranges of joint motion, I recommend staying away from stretching. Stretching will not reduce your risk of injury, and it's probably not healthy for your joints to get excess joint laxity caused by excessive stretching. If you're like me, you probably have more valuable ways that you can spend your time instead of stretching.
First let me define what I'm referring to when I mentioned "stretching". Stretching involves pulling a muscle and/or tendon and/or ligament into a position going beyond its active range of flexibility. The majority of stretching protocols involve holding this stretched position for a number of seconds right before releasing the stretch.
In my opinion people often think it's necessary to stretch for one or each of the particular reasons. They think stretching out helps avert injury. They believe that it is healthy to be extremely flexible and every person should aim to become as flexible as possible.
As far as the thought of avoiding injury, there were quite a few researches looking at the efficiency of stretching to prevent injury. Surprisingly, the research has shown that stretching out doesn't help to prevent injury. In as much as I noticed, this conclusion isn't controversial in the research community. On average the groups in studies that stretch just before physical exertion end up sustaining likewise many injuries like the groups that do not stretch prior to the exact same activities so, injury prevention is not a very good reason to take time stretching.
(Warm up before strenuous physical activity is probably important for injury prevention. In the recent article for this particular newsletter I discussed how the first repetitions of a set of slow-motion strength training repetitions are a very efficient warm up for the subsequent more challenging repetitions. However, the evidence shows that adding stretching to help warm-up doesn't provide any benefit.)
Regarding the issue of whether achieving extreme amounts of flexibility is healthy or not, understand that probably about 95% of the population is already flexible enough for the activities they would like to do. Most of us are not hampered by our current ranges of joint motion. So gaining extra flexibility will not help most of us. On the other hand, there is a little minority of people who require additional flexibility - people involved in activities where it is necessary to get extremely flexible. Examples will be gymnasts, ballerinas, and fighting techniques enthusiasts. If you're involved in activities that participate in unusual ranges of motion around the joints (just like the activities mentioned), a stretching program to achieve additional flexibility can be handy. Keep in mind, though, that many people do not fall under that category.
Furthermore, I'd argue that it is not necessarily healthy to gain extreme amounts of flexibility around your joints. High amounts of flexibility leads to increased joint laxity and also a less stable joint. This is certainly not desirable for joint health. Unreliable evidence for this is the fact that many retired gymnasts have significant lingering joint injuries that were brought on by their sport, despite achieving extreme levels of flexibility as they were competing. Obtaining extreme joint flexibility didn't prevent these gymnasts' injuries, and several people hypothesize that much joint flexibility (as well as the resultant excess joint laxity and joint instability) may be a contributing cause of the joint injuries.
Personally, I came across the arguments refuting the potency of stretching during the mid 1990's, and decided to cease my own stretching routine. When I stopped stretching, nothing happened - I did not incur additional or fewer injuries, my physical performance wasn't better or worse, and nothing else of note took place on account of quitting stretching. The stretching I'd been doing appeared to have been a relative waste of time to me, and now I don't spend time with that anymore.
So here are my recommendations being a personal trainer Solana Beach. If you are involved in a physical activity that requires unusual ranges of motion on your joints (such as gymnastics, martial arts, etc.), stretching can help you get and maintain above normal amounts of joint flexibility for your chosen endeavor. But if you are like most us and don't need unusual ranges of joint motion, I recommend staying away from stretching. Stretching will not reduce your risk of injury, and it's probably not healthy for your joints to get excess joint laxity caused by excessive stretching. If you're like me, you probably have more valuable ways that you can spend your time instead of stretching.
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Getting in top shape with Solana Beach personal trainer not just enhances your figure but also your overall health also. The benefits which an individual can get from personal trainer in Carlsbad are limitless.
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