....That is the question.
….whether, ' tis sensible in the body to suffer
The, maybe and perhaps, of aching limbs
Or take precaution, against a sea of troubles
And by exercising , end them !
*****
Hello there, and welcome to the Changing Room...!
Slip off your shoes and come on in.
Apologies for not posting yesterday... a day with new boiler being fitted, al fresco meals here there and everywhere , no electric for a while, learning to fly my new app which controls everything, meant the day went in a whirl.
These last few days since last Thursday have been really interesting...not least of all because I have been using many of the great exercises on this forum a heck of a lot. Our Gas boiler gave its all last week and we have had no central heating until today... the wonderful chaps who came and have done a splendid job have obviously been around and about, and I have had a fair bit of time to read more posts and reflect on things...always dangerous for me.
One post I read, and one of the replies from our own esteemed, GoogleMe ... caught my eye. It resonated with me too. It was something I had been pondering on... not just with relation to running, but linked with other exercise also.
Hence ,my rather feeble attempt to emulate the Bard !
The post was posted on this forum and asked a few questions, re-starting to add more exercises and which ones. The poster has had a few injuries and setbacks, despite doing stretching before and after a run.
The reply from GM was one which suggested, that maybe, it might be an idea , not, to do them before and after, but at other times in the day; and this is something I had been thinking about for a while.
There are very many of us here, who have a regular exercise routine to support our bodies. Exercises for strength and stamina.. many of which involve stretching of some type. I know that my morning routine has exercised and stretched a fair few bits of my body, before I even get out of bed... and after my regular squats and ankle raises, whilst cleaning my teeth, plus the general running up and down stairs, faffage time... my muscles are well warmed up and muscles stretched, before I even set out! I always walk before I run and I do a really good walk back after the run too.
Anyway, I decided to find out a tad more about , to stretch or not to stretch.. and I was a tad surprised with some of my findings...
Advice that we always seem to hear about and read..is that many athletes believe that targeted stretching will reduce the risk of injury and prevent muscle soreness. This all sounds really useful, but does this belief have a scientific foundation?
In the articles I read, it seems that there is a massive difference of opinion and I did glean from a fair few articles, that there is no scientific evidence that stretching for athletes does not prevent muscle soreness!
But, ( there is always a but, isn't there), apparently, that does not mean that stretching has no effect at all or is a complete waste of time !
Stretching can have its benefits, for relaxation and recovery.... the targeting of different muscles can, apparently improve circulation and aid regeneration.
Confused ? I was !
Which means,:
The improvement in circulation leads to the regeneration of certain muscles, aiding stress relief, and increasing and maintaining mobility too ! That sounds good to me.
So: Where do we go from here?
Facts that I have taken away from all my searches;
* It seems, you do not always have to do it immediately before or after the exercise.
* A regular exercise routine, will ensure that the muscles you use for your chosen activity, are mainly in a state of readiness, most of the time.
* Warming up before your exercise is a key factor.
* Stretching is , if you do, do it, best done on really warmed up muscle groups.
Research appears to indicate that;
* Stretching will not prevent muscle soreness or help prevent injury.
There seem to be more specific guidelines and advice for runners, but because I run, maybe I noticed that more..
There is a very clear divide between the do-ers, and the don't-ers!
I have found the whole thing fascinating... and I feel, if you are interested , you may find the same!
So... what about you... do you stretch, I do know of some of the folk on my forums who are passionate about their exercise, warming up routines and their stretches before and after runs, I also know a fair few who have never stretched.
If you do...when and how, has it helped or hindered ?
I am looking forward to folk popping in and sharing their thoughts.
Oldfloss x
Week 2 of the Plankety Plankethon - 20 seconds plank ✔️
A lovely runner's yoga 'flex' session - just 20 mins long