Over the last few months our email server has been flooded with concerns about which
stretches are good and which stretches are bad. In all cases someone has told the
inquirer that they shouldn't do this stretch or that stretch, or that this is a
good stretch and this is a bad stretch.
Some people have even seen stretches on our web site and emailed me to say (out
of genuine concern) that this is a bad stretch because their coach, trainer or friend
told them so.
So, are there only good stretches and bad stretches? Is there no middle ground?
And if there are only good and bad stretches, how do you decide which ones are good
and which ones are bad?
Let's put an end to the confusion once and for all...
There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch!
Just as there are no good or bad exercises, there are no good or bad stretches;
only what is appropriate for the specific requirements of the individual. So a stretch
that is perfectly okay for me may not be okay for you or someone else.
Let me give you an example. You wouldn't ask someone with a shoulder injury to do
push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that doesn't mean that these are bad exercises.
Now, consider the same scenario from a stretching point of view. You wouldn't ask
that same person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that doesn't mean that
all shoulder stretches are bad.
You see, the stretch itself isn't good or bad, it's the way it's performed and who
it's performed on that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful.
To place a particular stretch into a category of "Good" or "Bad"
is foolish and dangerous. To label a stretch as "Good" gives people the
impression that they can do that stretch whenever and however they want and it won't
cause them any problems.
The specific requirements of the individual are what's important!
Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. Just like a motor vehicle, it's
what you do with it that makes it good or bad. However, when choosing a stretch
there are a number of precautions and "checks" you need to perform before
giving that stretch the okay.
- Make a general review of the individual.
Are they healthy and physically active, or have they been leading a sedentary lifestyle
for the past 5 years? Are they a professional athlete? Are they recovering from
a serious injury? Do they have aches, pains or muscle and joint stiffness in any
area of their body?
- Make a specific review of the area, or muscle group to be stretched.
Are the muscles healthy? Is there any damage to the joints, ligaments, tendons,
etc.? Has the area been injured recently, or is it still recovering from an injury?