4 Stretches to Prevent Injury
Over the past 30 years, stretching has transitioned from a must-do before exercise, to a must-do after exercise to a shunned exercise. Today, however, some are promoting it as an effective injury-prevention practice. So, does stretching prevent injury? A short disclaimer before we delve too deeply into this question: No practice or modality truly prevents an injury. All sports and activities have inherent risks and some injuries are unavoidable. But a proper warm-up before activity (which may or may not include stretching) is the best way to reduce the risk of injury. To answer the million-dollar question above, we must also define “stretching” because static, dynamic and ballistic stretching each differ from one another. Further, how trainers utilize stretching in training or pre-competition (versus research protocols) also differs. Research over the last 10 or more years suggests that stretching does not positively affect injury risk. Additionally, res...