3 Reasons Why You Might Not Need to Stretch

Woah woah, here comes a hot take. After all, if you read my article on how to exercise, stretching is definitely part of a good exercise routine.

So why are we still talking about it? There are so many benefits to having a good stretch.

It can increase your flexibility, reduce your risk of injury and help promote proper posture. However, stretching before exercise is not always necessary.

The biggest problem with stretching is that we do not know precisely what type and how much to do per person. There is not much research done to figure out how much to stretch.

So, that leaves us to figure out the problem ourselves with trial and error only to conclude that you might not need to stretch as much as you think.

Summary

The 3 Types of Stretching

Stretching is not just yoga. But every yoga move can be a stretch. Pilates is a type of fancy stretching.

In short, stretching is the act of lengthening your muscle fibers to achieve a specific goal. That goal is usually to increase flexibility.

The type of stretching you are thinking is static stretch. It is usually done by you stretching a specific part of your body and holding it still. Some static stretches include yoga or specific Pilates movements.

The opposite of static stretch is dynamic stretch. You are still lengthening your muscles but moving at the same time. Examples are lunges, leg swings, or ab twists.

Last but not least, there is ballistic stretching. Ballistic stretches use force and generally are more explosive. You should think of kicking as an example.

Each stretch serves a purpose and without knowing it, you might not need to stretch in the same way you have been doing.

Why You Might Not Need to Stretch

Right Before an Exercise Session

Contrary to popular belief, you might not need to stretch too much before an exercise session, especially when it comes to static stretching.

If you are stretching your muscles before they are warm and ready for exercise, it could cause you to pull a muscle or otherwise injure yourself.

For athletes who already have a good range of motion and flexibility, stretching could actually interfere with optimal performance.

According to the professor of sports medicine at Stanford University, Dr. Michael Fredericson, if you’re feeling warm and loose at the start of your workout, stretching might not be necessary or beneficial^[1].

You might not need to stretch statically like in the old PE class. Do consider doing dynamic stretches as a warm-up portion of your exercise.

Related Post: How to Exercise

When You Overuse a Group of Muscles

Overuse of muscles cannot be fixed with stretching. It can make the problem worse and that means you might not need to stretch for this reason.

One way you can overuse a group of muscles is by doing sports. Activities such as running or cycling can lead to you overusing a few groups of muscles while underusing some others.

Daily life can also lead you to overuse muscles. If you are sitting in a chair for a long time (as many would in their office), you are overusing your back muscles.

In this case, your muscles are trying to prepare themselves. Too much stretching can make the problem worse by interfering with the healing process.

Related Post: The Energy Systems in Your Body

The Muscles Feel “Tight” Or “Stiff” For a Long Time

I promise this reason will blow your mind. When your muscles constantly feel “tight” or “stiff”, you might not need to stretch as much as you think.

Why? Because you should not keep doing the same thing that does not work and expect different results.

According to Cameron Tudor, a physical therapist in the UK, stretching can provide temporary relief to your problem but it does not solve the root cause^[2].

The underlying reason is that your muscles are weak around that area. Stretching does not strengthen the muscles, strength training does.

Your muscles currently cannot take the workload that you demand and are trying to prepare themselves. Stretching can get in the way; therefore, you might not need to stretch as much.

On the other hand, you need to strengthen the muscles around the “tight” area so that this uncomfortable feeling goes away.