Where are the stretches in the exercise programs?
Please remember the advice we give is general and not meant to be used as a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you want specific advice then please seek help from your doctor or local physio
Where are the stretches in your exercise program?
We are commonly asked why there aren't any stretching exercises in the programs. Stretching and it's perceived benefits have become so engrained in the exercise and fitness world that they are an expected part of any fitness program, so we understand the confusion. The video below explains why we don't include stretching in our programs.
1. Stretching to warm up
Warm ups can be useful to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury, but stretching to warm up has shown to be ineffective. In fact, some evidence shows that stretching before exercise may even slightly reduce performance. Sure, stretching might warm up the muscles up a little bit, but no where near as much as other activities that are simply milder versions of the exercise you are about to perform! For example, if you were about to do weighted squats in your workout, the best warm up you could do would be... lighter, shallower squats!
2. Stretching to prevent soreness
Post exercise soreness, sometimes known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is an almost unavoidable side effect of starting a new exercise program. Studies have tried to find a treatment for it to no avail. Stretching does not seem to help. That said, it might help YOU to manage your symptoms, but probably no more than general movement. The best way to reduce post exercise soreness is likely to 'start low, go slow'.
3. Stretching to prevent injury
There is a lot of research looking into different ways to reduce injury risk, in athletic populations as well as in general populations. The vast majority of that research shows that stretching has very minimal, if any, impact on injuries.
So instead of stretching before or after exercises sessions, it would be much more productive to put that time and energy towards things that we know ACTUALLY reduce the risk of injuries:
- Managing how much exercise you do - avoid big sudden increases in how much exercise you do, and if you haven’t been exercising for a while gradually build up.
- Warm up - a short warm up before exercise or sport is usually a good idea, and should typically include low intensity versions of the exercises in the main workout, or athletic movements in the sport.
- Make sure you get enough sleep - sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of injury significantly, so prioritise 7-9 hours of good sleep per night. That being said, one bad night of sleep shouldn't stop you from doing your exercise!
4. Stretching to improve performance
For the same reason that stretching isn't a good warm up, it also doesn't help improve performance. In fact, it can slightly reduce the ability of the muscles to produce explosive power. A caveat here is that certain sports such as gymnastics where extreme positions are required, may benefit from stretching, but the vast majority of people don't need to stretch for any of their usual daily tasks!
It's not all bad...
Stretching, when done regularly and at a challenging level DOES improve flexibility.
However, resistance (strength) training through a full range of motion also improves flexibility, with some research showing it does this as much as stretching.
And whilst stretching does not really provide any additional benefits, resistance training provides an array of health benefits in addition... strength, muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular health, functional capacity, physiological reserve etc!
For us that makes it a far better bang-for-buck option!
You can still stretch...
All that being said, if you enjoy stretching and it doesn't take time and energy away from your valuable strength, cardio and balance training, by all means continue!
Just remember that you don't HAVE to stretch.