Stretching is perhaps one of the most controversial fitness subjects of present day. Passionate debates arise between those who perceive the benefits of stretching and those, like me, who think stretching is one of the worst activities you can partake in, especially if you’re already injured. It’s a tradition that’s hard to break because so many of us have the stretching necessity ingrained in our heads as we’ve listened to coaches, trainers, professional athletes, researchers, and doctors throughout our fitness lives. Although research shows stretching has no value and may actually cause harm, people find it difficult to “Just Say ‘no’ to stretching.” 
Now, to clarify, I’m primarily talking about static stretching – that’s the “stretch and hold” type of stretching. Dynamic stretching is different as it promotes natural movements and range of motion that typically isn’t harmful if done properly. I’m all for moving natural and natural/normal range of motion of joints and muscles but I don’t think that we need to call this “stretching.” Read on to understand my madness…
I don’t stretch. I’ve never advised any patient, athlete, or anyone who cares about their health to stretch. I am in very good health and have very good fitness. Although I don’t stretch at all, I’m rather flexible. This is because flexibility is a reflection of health and fitness, not stretching. I had two interesting experiences over the past couple years with coaches I hired for a bit to help me with my swimming and cycling techniques. The swim coach noticed I was not extending my arm out far enough in the water and therefore not grabbing as much water as I could be. Essentially I was not making myself as long as I could be and streamlining through the water. So he pulled me out of the pool and showed me what to do on land. He commented on how I was too tight and needed to stretch my arms out more to get the length I was looking for. But when I was able to do on land what he wanted me to do in the water he was amazed I could lengthen my body (arm) out so much. I was not inflexible, I just had poor swim technique, and that needed correction. My cycling coach was also surprised when he was checking my flexibility to adjust my bike position. His initial comment was that I must stretch a lot as I was pretty flexible for someone who can remain in a bent over aero position on a bike for five or more hours. I still don’t think he believed me when I told him I never stretch. I did stretch a lot in high school – before cross country practice, a lot in wrestling practice, and on my own. I was injured a lot. When I wasn’t injured, I was still having some muscular issue somewhere. Now I subscribe to my no stretching, no injuries program.
Stretching Weakens Muscles
The thought that stretching relaxes and is therapeutic for tight muscles is not only a misconception, it has never been proven. It actually weakens muscles, and that’s definitely not a good thing. Muscle tightness is due to an imbalance. The imbalance lies within the neuromuscular system – so it is a reflection of the nervous system via the muscular system. The idea that many physicians, therapists, coaches, and athletes have that you need to stretch a tight muscle to relax it and exercise a neurologically weak muscle to strengthen it is incorrect. It sounds nice, but your body doesn’t work that way. Clinicians who evaluate muscle function in athletes observe that stretching a muscle could make it longer and increase flexibility but this resulted in a reduction in function from a loss of power. “There is a neuromuscular inhibitory response to static stretching,” Malachy McHugh, the director of research at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told the New York Times. “The straining muscle becomes less responsive and stays weakened for up to 30 minutes after stretching, which is not how an athlete wants to begin a workout.”
A study done at the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas compared changes in muscles that were stretched and not stretched in the same person. They found that stretching one muscle can also impair another muscle that was not stretched, possibly through a central nervous system inhibitory mechanism. That means that stretching (and weakening) a muscle in your left leg could weaken a muscle in your right leg that you didn’t even stretch!
Other studies show adverse effects on lower limb power, sprinting ability, and vertical jump. These abnormal changes induced in a stretched muscle can last for an hour or longer, and some clinicians have demonstrated that stretching can cause prolonged muscle problems that can last days and weeks. Yet despite these findings, track sprinters, high jumpers, and other athletes that rely on jumping power including basketball players still feel the need to stretch.
Some people don’t agree with the fact that stretching causes muscle weakness because they don’t feel weak after stretching. This is because most people feel the tight part of muscle imbalance and usually don’t feel muscle weakness until it begins affecting a joint or unless it’s severe enough to reduce muscle power. So you might feel your hamstring to feel tight and the need to stretch it, but typically the weakness is in the antagonist muscle, in this case the quadriceps. Stretching the hamstrings will further weaken that “tight” muscle and perhaps temporarily provide symptomatic relief, but the problem will only continue to spiral downward.
So what causes muscle imbalances and the feeling of tight muscles and the need to stretch? Well, muscle imbalances occur for many reasons but ultimately there is some stress to the nervous system, either systemically (throughout the entire body), or locally. For example, if you injure your hamstring this may inhibit the function of that muscle so it hurts. You may perceive the weakness as pain in the area or you may have pain and/or tightness on the opposite side, in the quadriceps, as it tries to compensate for the hamstring weakness. You inclination would then be to stretch the quads to “relax” them, but the problem is really in the hamstrings; that is the area that needs to be addressed. Doing hamstring exercises won’t strengthen the muscle because that doesn’t effectively deal with the injury. So you can do hamstring curls or some other exercise all day long and it won’t turn the hamstrings on any more than stretching will relax the quadriceps.
Typically in this case, the best thing you can do to turn on the hamstrings is apply deep pressure manipulation – also known as origin-insertion technique or trigger point therapy – to the areas of injury and the tendon attachments. Stretching does not help injuries because it elongates the muscle fibers. That is not helpful or healing for injured muscles. When there is an injury, the fibers are already elongated and pulled away from another or in some other configuration than what they should be in order to properly heal. Stretching will only make this worse. Using trigger point therapy can help those fibers line back up and heal properly. Feel around with deep pressure throughout the muscle, from the belly to both ends, looking for very tender “hot” spots. Hold them and/or rub them out with deep pressure in a slight circular motion for 15-30 seconds. Your therapist or doctor may need to assist you with this and they may need to perform other types of therapies to help your injured muscle heal and “turn on.” Please note that this is not advice to necessarily treat yourself. Use common sense. If you have a major muscle pull or tear, or obviously if you aren’t healing, you should seek the advice of a professional.
Flexibility is a Reflection of Health, Not Stretching
Then there is the systemic issue where an individual muscle, or group or muscles, feels very tight. Maybe your whole body feels tight and you have a stretching routine to “loosen you up” every morning. In this case, there is something affecting your entire nervous system, and the muscles are reacting to whatever the problem is. Most often these are dietary/nutritional problems. If there is a lot of inflammation in your body, perhaps from eating too many processed vegetable fats such as corn, soy, safflower, and peanut oil, this can result in tight muscles throughout your body. Eating any amount of partially hydrogenated “trans” fats can also result in a similar problem. A high carbohydrate diet, especially one containing refined sugars, can also make your nervous system more stressed and your muscles feel tight. Too much caffeine, and especially the excitotoxins MSG and aspartame (Nutrasweet) often will give you the muscle aches and tightness along with many other health problems. Of course, stretching will not help any of these problems though it may provide temporary relief.
Hormonal imbalances can also make your nervous system react in such a way that you have muscular tightness and feel the need to stretch. Women who have estrogen dominance (and low progesterone), and men with low testosterone levels may experience a tight lower back and hip region, giving them the inclination to want to stretch those areas out. Thyroid and adrenal gland hormone imbalances can result in similar problems too.
Your fascia – the connective tissue that holds everything together in your body like Saran Wrap – can sometimes be tight because of an injury to the body but also due to low vitamin B12 levels. This is common in vegetarians who often lack B12 which is found in eggs and animal products. Also individuals under significant stress will lose the necessary intrinsic factor in the stomach needed to properly absorb B12 – resulting in tight connective tissue and muscles – and the need to stretch. As with the other cases, fixing the cause of the problem, in this case the stress situation or the B12 deficiency will “loosen up” the muscles, not stretching.
But what if you’re not injured? The same rules apply. Typical stretching routines will still weaken muscles and promote injury. Consider why you need to stretch. Or do you enjoy stretching and want to do it? Wanting to stretch because it is relaxing to you may be okay, if done properly, (as described below). Many stretches we were all taught in gym class and by our coaches are not only useless, they’re harmful. Joint instability and muscular weakness often results with many of these types of stretches – think about that Hurdlers Stretch – it’s perhaps the worst one out there.
Yoga Is Not Just Stretching
Yoga? Let’s first say that yoga and stretching are not the same thing, yet many people associate the two because that is how it has unfortunately evolved in many areas. Most yoga classes today have students trying to force themselves into a yoga pose they are not ready to do and they overstretch. This is Westernized yoga and not the way it was intended to be. Yoga is intended to relax the entire body with certain poses and deep breathing resulting in inner harmony and focus on one’s self, not to stress your body out by stretching it in shapes you are not ready or able to do. So yoga may be beneficial if performed in a controlled fashion, within your means, and within the yoga philosophy.
Stretching Exceptions
Dancers and gymnasts are perhaps one exception to anti-stretching. For many of these individuals, stretching is necessary to some degree as their activities require a larger range of motion than is needed in order to perform their activities. The static stretching for these individuals should still be handled very carefully, ideally contracting the antagonist muscle to prevent overstretching. This would mean if a dancer was working on a bar and stretching his or her hamstrings, he or she would contract the quadriceps muscles, hold for up to thirty seconds, and repeat for at least three times. An active aerobic warm-up for at least 10 minutes is essential. However, I can say from my experience with professional dancers they always feel the need to stretch more than they need to because of underlying problems – most often dietary inadequacies, nutrient imbalances, and injuries make their muscles “more tight.” Once the underlying problems are resolved theses performers feel much more limber and less of a need to stretch, yet they’re much more flexible.
We associate flexibility with health. This is true to some extent but more does not necessarily mean better. If you can’t touch your toes while standing with your knees locked out it doesn’t mean you are not healthy. Sure there is a “normal” but it is hard to say what that is and it’s different for everybody. If you can’t touch your knees while bending forward you’ve got a problem somewhere – or too short of arms! More important is the balance and symmetry between muscles, including side to side. If your right leg can be stretched out to the side 90 degrees and your left can only go 80 degrees then that indicates a problem. You’re probably thinking the problem is on the left because that is how we were taught to think; but not necessarily so. Sometimes the area, in this case the leg, can be too flexible and once muscular and nervous system imbalances are corrected the 90 degree leg might only go to 80 degrees. And often when this happens the person feels more balanced and limber. So don’t think more is better. Balance is better.
Stretching may increase your flexibility, but you will most likely be weaker and the results are often short-lived. Saying that stretching reduces injuries or improves endurance performance, (the two main reasons given for stretching), is like saying certain shoes will make you run or jump faster. Many continue to make both these claims, yet neither has ever been proven, and many still buy the shoes and stretch with them on. Stretching is not exercise and not a warm-up before a run or any activity. Aerobic activity is the best warm-up as it increases flexibility in a safe way while improving oxygen utilization, lung capacity, and fat burning.
To quote Jack LaLanne, “Have you ever seen a lion stretch before it attacks?” Animals don’t [static] stretch in nature. I guess we can call their natural movements “dynamic stretching” but I prefer to call it natural movements. Moving naturally via natural range on motion is perfectly fine, and encouraged. However, if you’re performing these types of activities and you need to do several repetitions to “loosen up” then you should consider why that is so – there is some underlying muscle imbalance. High knees, butt kicks, and other similar exercises performed after an aerobic warm-up are natural movements; some feel they should be classified as “stretching.” Essentially, if you are moving well throughout the day you are always stretching to some degree.
So balance your muscles and your entire body by balancing your life with proper exercise, diet, and other lifestyle factors. Stop drinking that Kool-Aid propaganda and just say “No!” to stretching!
Update – January 2012: Here’s a good post at Sweat Science that discusses a 2010 study done at Florida State showing that trained distance runners became about 5% less efficient if they did static stretching before a run and a recent study done by the same group that suggests that dynamic stretching does not affect (good or bad) running endurance performance in trained male runners.
Check out the new 100% organic cotton American Apparel “Only Bozos Stretch” shirts.
10 Reasons Not To Stretch – Some funny and true; some funny and not all that true.
As far as trying to do a little trigger point therapy on yourself, is something like the Grid foam roller a good thing?
Thanks for all the info!
Yes, those are very good.
How in the world can you write an article such as this, only to quickly endorse SMR on a foam roller?… what a disappointment!
Chris, the reason is because the article is called “Stop Stretching!” and SMR (self myofascial release) is NOT stretching, but breaking up fascial adhesions which can be very beneficial. I don’t “endorse” a foam roller but for some it provides benefit if they can’t see a therapist or work out the fascial trigger point manually themselves. That is what I am endorsing. Your point is not understood.
My point is that your article was thorough and detailed, however your “yes those are very good” response to the reader’s question about using a foam roller seemed a little irresponsible…
Think about this:
Consider exactly how large a “trigger point” is /might be – compare it to the size of the surface area of the foam roller applied to the area…
Are you sure that “trigger point” is the only thing being addressed? Of course for some this may be just fine, and for others SMR may be just about as precise as dialing a phone number with my fist and insisting that although I pushed all the number buttons, only the intended ones were affected…
Well direct pressure via SMR is often affecting more than what you intended (just like stretching, SMR it requires a thought process, proper progression and precision… if you even need to do it at all).
Direct pressure via SMR or massage etc DOES passively alter the length of the muscle – it’s a passive stretch without a change in joint position. How can you be so cavalier about SMR when it’s possible that in some people it may have the same detrimental effects on ‘muscle balance’ and ‘neurological control’ as stretching?
Lastly, recommending that people treat themselves if they can’t get to a therapist is irresponsible and scary. If I can’t get to the hospital should I just take some pills I know nothing about?
I’ll stay tuned for your next article when you list the detrimental effects of cigarette smoke, only to demonstrate your bias/ignorance below the article by telling a reader cigars are ok.
Chris, clearly you feel the need to be heard, which is why I approved your comment(s). My answer of “yes those are very good” was to the woman asking if the foam roller is good for “a little trigger point therapy.” Yes, for that, they are.
However, you seem to want to blow this up and talk more in depth about foam rolling and trigger points. That is not the intent of the article; figuring out why someone needs a therapy, in this case stretching, is. I also note this as a response to another comment if you scroll down. The same can be applied to trigger points as if someone needs to treat themself every day. Yes, trigger points, like any therapy, require some thought process, but that doesn’t mean that someone should not be allowed to try treat a problem they may have especially since many people do not have access to good therapists. A foam roller might help them reach a spot they could not otherwise get to or get the depth they need to with their hands. I do not see the “lengthening” of a muscle via trigger point therapy to be anywhere near as a problem as stretching. I’ve tested this repeatedly. Now if they’re rolling their body all over a with the foam roller, that is a different situation.
And you’re comparing working out some trigger points or some self therapy with going to the hospital? That’s out of control. We’re not talking surgery here.
Sure you can stay tuned for the next article, but it sounds like the SockDoc philosophy is not for you.
Spot on, Doc. Couldn’t agree more. And very well explained.
Muscle function is mostly under reflex control and the Law of Reciprocal inhibition demands that when you put one muscle under stretch or tension, you must inhibit it’s antagonist, so stretching causes weakness and potential for injury.
I wish more people would study the basic muscle-controlling reflexes, the myotatic, withdrawal, reciprocal inhibition and crossed extensor are a good place to start.
Simon King DIBAK
Chiropractor
Doc,
Agree with all in this article, it drives me nuts to watch everyone at the gym stretch cold. Personally I warm up then foam roll, then after my workout I will roll again but with a lacrosse ball. In your opinion is this overdoing it? Also occasionally I will have my workout partner do some PNF stretching on whatever muscle groups we covered that particular training day, your thoughts? Thanks Doc, keep up the great articles!
Hi Mike, that’s okay but if you feel the need to roll so much then there’s something not right. You shouldn’t be so tight that you have to do that every day, especially pre and post-workout.
Thanks!
Couldn’t agree more about not stretching when injured. That has done nothing for me except to reinjure myself.
Glad to see a profesional reinforce my own experience.
What do you think about the trend toward dynamic stretching as a warmup? Do you consider dyanamic
stretching in the same boat as static stretching?
If stretching is done in a controlled manner (not forcing or straining muscles and tendons) then it can be fine. If you’re using it as part of a warm-up, it should be preceded by the aerobic activity as I discuss.
hi doc,
thanks for this article it is very informative. Just wondering though, you mention dynamic warmup- what should be done after a work out? This is often when I stretch, should I not be doing it then either? and if not, what should I do to combat just general tired muscles – I tend to get sore quads after doing intense exercise like RPM for example or Body Pump and squats.
If you want to stretch because it relaxes you then do that after a good aerobic workout. If you feel like you need to stretch and think that it combats your general muscle tiredness then that’s a problem (because it won’t do that). The muscle tiredness is from other reasons, not lack of stretching – consider easing up on the workouts or looking at the other factors involved as I mention, specifically nutrition and muscle imbalances in the problem areas.
I read this and i come from a heavy gymnastics background as well as influences from various martial arts. I do parkour and freerunning as a hobby. i know that static cold stretching is bad for you, and it is best to stretch after warming up with an aerobic workout, i sometimes warm up my muscles using more yoga type excercises and not just forcing myself into a stretch. But at the same time i need a larger range of motion for what i do than alot of other sports, so i do train my flexibility by means of stretching on a almost regular basis. because if im not flexible and i go for some moves i will most certainly tear something by not stretching beforehand, or not be able to even do that movement at all. I would like to hear your advice as far as maintaining and advancing on flexibility but not weakening the associated muscles.
There’s a fine line between how much you may want to stretch (through a functional ROM) and not stretch for the activities you’re talking about. I too have been training parkour recently, and just got back from a 5-day MovNat retreat. We never stretched – we “loosened up” with aerobic exercise and going through full range of motions of various muscles and joints. If you’re going for a jump from one wall to another and you need to extend your leg further than it should, having stretched it to a certain degree prior is not going to prevent you from pulling a muscle fiber. What is going to prevent that is that the muscle is functioning properly, which is what I discuss in the rather long post here. If you can’t do the movement at all, again, there is something inhibiting the muscle, or of course there is the case where your leg or whatever body part you’re trying to put in a certain position just might not be able to get there. I stayed flexible, fit, and injury-free at 5-days of training MovNat and did not stretch once – before, during, or after.
I know it’s a hard habit to break!
Hi Doc, i am a college basketball players who trains twice a day about 4 times a week and once a day for 2 days a week doing workouts like lifting weights 6 days a week on top of basketball everyday and most days twice either playign full court games or skill work sessions so i basically train about 18 hours a week. I have always been big on stretching but never static i use a dynamic warmup and maybe get on the foam roller before and i ussually use a type of stretching called active isolated stretching (ais) also known as the Mattes Method where you only hold a stretch for 2 seconds about 8-12 times after i workout and maybe i will get on the foamroller if i have some sore spots, so im confused if your article fits me or not since i am training so often and have to be recover as fast as possible if so basically what youd be saying to someone like me is when im done lifting on my legs and im really tight from it that i should just leave when im done with my last set and not foam roll and stretch when i have another workout i have to be ready for on the court just a few hours later? also groin injuries are very common in basketball players because of all the heavy defensive sliding and qucik changes of direction i always thought if my groin was more flexible then it would not get strained because i wouldnt put myself into a rom i couldnt handle is this train of thinking worng as well? I am really curious to know the best way to take care of my body and be the healthiest and best player i can be.
Hi John, good questions here. Basically the idea is this – if you NEED to stretch because your muscles or joints feel tight, that is a problem and most often due to muscle imbalances rather than lack of stretching. If you’re holding a stretch for 2 secs and just going through normal ranges of motion, that is most likely fine. But if you’re trying to push a limb, joint, or muscle past its normal range to “get a good stretch” that is most always harmful – you don’t gain flexibility that way – you gain flexibility by obtaining a healthy & fit body where the nervous system is not creating an imbalance in mechanics resulting in “tight” muscles. So if you want to recover faster (as everyone does) then you have to look at the whole picture of health – eating well, training properly, low stress, etc. Stretching does not have a place here unless you’re performing it properly and to relax and after a proper [aerobic] warm-up.
Yes groin injuries are very common. I see a lot of them with the soccer players I treat too. But the only correlation I see is between increased stretching and increased groin problems, not less. Increased flexibility in your groin does not equate to less injury, regardless of how those muscles need to be used. Actually, the most common reasons for muscle imbalances in the groin area I’d say are due to improper footwear (altering gait and vertical jump too in b’ball players) as well as increased stress demand from high intensity workouts as well as other stresses a college player has to deal with (such as your studies).
I hope that helps clarify some things for you!
Hi Doc! Thanks for the article.
About 12 days ago I began a whole body work out that is pretty intense (Jillian Michaels DVDs), after a few years of complete inactivity and muscle loss. Since I began this exercise routine have noticed a need to stretch all areas of my body even down to my fingers (although I don’t crack anything – just stretch) and I know this has to be related to my working out because I’ve never felt this way before beginning exercising again. The stretching feels good and so do the workouts. I feel like I’m gaining strenth and shaping up even though it’s only been 12 days. Anyway, I’m conserned about the need to stretch many times a day. What do you think this is from?
Thanks again!
Glad you like the article, thanks. The reason you need to stretch so much is because you’re training too hard. You’re stressing your nervous and musculoskeletal system out so much you’re creating muscle imbalances. You’re on the verge of being injured. After a few years of inactivity you’ve got to build up the aerobic system, as I discuss throughout the SD site. Your body can’t handle so many intense anaerobic workouts so early in your training.
After I lift weights, my muscles feel significantly weaker. But after recovering they get stronger. By the same token, my muscles do feel weaker if I stretch for quite a while–but won’t they rebuild to my benefit?
Your muscles should not feel significantly weaker after any exercise – weights or cardio-type workouts. If they do, you are causing muscle imbalances from improper technique or exerting yourself more than you should be at the given time. No, they won’t “rebuild” after you weaken them. Training = working out + rest. You rebuild during rest, but not if you skewed the equation too much by excessive working out.
Thanks SockDoc,
I have just read yur article and also agree with you. Last year I was told I had aggravated my achilles tendon (though I also had pain in my calf it was overlooked) but as soon as I feel better I am compelled to stretch my calf as told by every athlete and doctor I meet and it only makes my situation worse. Last year I only recovered when I stopped stretching my calves completely.
Now I have another bout of the same. When I go to a different doctor they say there is no evidence of tendonitis, and I am not even sure that I have a problem with my tendon – only with my calves. I use the stick and also use trigger point therapy on them. I have just had a 4 week lay off of running, only to start stretching and the pain is back in my calf. My tendon is a little lumpy but there is no pain.
I realize it is difficult to give opinions here but could you advise me if you think another lengthy rest is necessary or just to wait until the pain in my calf is gone (usually 3-5 days) and then restart slow running with no stretching?
As I said, I would really appreciate any help. I have already been out of action for almost 2 months – and am hoping to compete in my thrid ironman in July.
I replies to your comment where the AT injury video is.
Hi Sock Doc,
I decided to write here this time as I stopped streching on New Years Day and was quickly able to start running (almost) normally again. So I just wanted to add my voice to your stop streching campaign!!
My calf/achilles problem quickly cleared up when I stopped streching and I felt great when running, so I was quickly able to increase my mileage (maybe a little faster than I should) but after each run I felt tired but not in pain. I now can feel no pain in my calf unless I poke it in the area where the trigger point was. I also changed out of my Asics and started to run in my other pair of running shoes which are flatter, with less support.
Anyway, I wanted to ask another bit of advice. On Thursday I ran about 80 mins and towards the end of the run I got not exactly a pain, but discomfort on the sole of my foot. Last time I recovered from this problem (trigger points in soleus which seemd to be tendonitis) I used to get a numb foot when running and shortly after. It cleared up over time. Yesterday I ran again for about 60 mins and the feeling started to return near the end.
I have the trigger point therapy book, and think I found another trigger point in my flexor digitorum longus/top of gastronemus muscle near the back of my knee. Is this kind of pain consistent with trigger points here? After massage in this area it seems to relieve the symptoms for a couple of hours.
Should I reduce runniing volume again? I would prefer not to, obviously
I only ran 3.5 hours this week, last week 2.5 hours. I don’t intend to run longer than 3.5 hours.
Is it ok if I keep an eye on it and do massage in this area?
Once again, I know it is difficult to tell me over the internet but appreciate your opinion…
Good to hear you’re doing better w/o stretching.
Trigger points can be anywhere. It’s really not necessary to know exactly what muscle you’re on unless you’re trying to diagnose something (as I am when I treat someone). In the back of the leg you may be on the flex dig long – the gastroc – maybe the tib post, it really doesn’t matter. Just work out wherever it is sore.
What IS important though is that if it’s on the back of your leg then it’s probably from the new position/gait now that you’re out of the Asics. Maybe the 80 min run was too much in the new shoes. You don’t mention what you’re wearing but I’m hoping they’re not a zero-drop very “barefoot” style shoe. Hopefully you went to a transitional shoe such as a Nike Free or a NB Min Road. Or even a NB Min Trail would be good.
You’re not going to lose fitness by backing off the volume while you heal. Use your best judgement. If you have pain after 50 minutes, then maybe keep the runs to <45 til’ you’re healed up.
Hi Sock-Doc,
Sorry I realized that I didn’t reply. Thanks for your message. My calf is now feeling much better, though I have to admit that I didn’t really lower my mileage much, but it didn’t feel bad enough to cut my run short. I did about 75 mins. I still have a bit of a dull ache in the sole of my forefoot at the end of the long run though and it lasts about a day. I wonder if it’s from doing a bit too much. In answer to your question about shoes-I am running in a pair of adidas adizero tempo, I don’t know how you feel about them but I looked at pics of the shoes you recommended and they are a similar height of heel. They are lightweight shoes. I have noticed that I am running more on my mid/forefoot than in the Asics and maybe this is why my foot is aching. But it feels much more natural too. I have run in this type of shoes before but never used to do my long runs in them.
Do you recommend using lightweight running shoes for all run training?
Typically minimalist type shoes are “lightweight” so yes that is what I recommend if you are ready for them. The closer to barefoot the better – though the terrain (rocky trails) may mean you need a thicker sole. And if you’re coming off of typical running shoes you of course need to transition.
Hi Doc
How do you recommend people treat tight anterior hips from too much sitting? The only solution I’ve seen is to stretch them. Foam rolling and lacrosse balls don’t do much for me because the muscle is right over the hip bone.
Try working out the psoas muscles deep in the abdomen as I show here: http://sock-doc.com/2011/08/piriformis_low-back-pain_sciatica/
Certianly I can’t be the only commenter to disagree?
I have psoriatic arthritis and crohns, which flare up more days than not. It literally feels like 20 guys beat me up, especially around my rib cage and muscles. When I forget to stretch and go for a walk or swim, I always feel worse. However, when I do disciplined stretching after a short warmup, I actually feel better. From my experience, stretching is a godsend. Plus it’s free and I don’t need an instructor.
And two decades ago, before I had the chronic issues, I played football. We had an excellent trainer who made sure to warm us up and cool us down, always including stretching. That certainly increased our flexibility, something I also noticed while throwing javelin for track and field. My range of motion increased and flexibility improved performance. Whenever I trained on my own and skipped stretching I pulled a muscles or pinched a nerve at least a quarter of the time.
Thanks for the comment John. You bring up a valid reason where one can benefit from stretching, and one I tried to touch upon in the article. It’s not that that there aren’t many people such as yourself who benefit from stretching – I’d actually say there are a whole lot of people who do, and if they don’t stretch they don’t feel as good as they do when they do stretch. But it is the “why do I have to stretch” that is the most important. For you, the psoriatic arthritis and the crohns is most likely a huge part of this “why.” With both diseases, as I mention in the links to my DRG site, you’re dealing with a lot of inflammation, (among other issues, of course), and that inflammation will have widespread effects to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These autoimmune conditions almost always have an underlying food allergy, heavy metal toxicity, or some other cause/offender (such as MSG or Aspartame toxicity) provoking the immune response resulting in pain and inflammation, and your “need” to stretch. Is stretching better than popping some pills (or more)? You bet. And if that’s what it takes then I say stretch, stretch, and stretch more. But you’re not really addressing the underlying condition. In my experience these problems can be dealt with at the source so you don’t need to stretch, though if you still want to then you’re actually not causing some problems that you could be now from stretching, because you’ll naturally be more flexible.
One of my examples and exceptions that I note is the professional ballet dancers who I see (see the testimonials on this site) who now stretch significantly less once they have cleaned up their diet and other health issues. Not only do they stretch less, (but yes, still stretch), they are MORE flexible, and LESS injured.
I hope that shines some more light on this stretching subject!
I think you should do some research into collagen tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos and hypermobility. Some of the newer research on these conditions may have you broaden your viewpoints and recommendations, or at the least, add new dimensions to your thinking. For instance, many of those dancers you talk about, may in fact have hypermobility as an underlying condition. Or many of those with inflammatory conditions (which you attribute to food allergy), may in fact have more to do with genetics than diets. Diets can certainly help, but genetics may play a larger role.
By the way, I’m not suggesting you’re wrong. You sound like a smart guy and I believe the more people who become aware of underlying problems like Ehlers-Danlos, the more we can truly understand about the structure of the billions of expressions of our genetics.
Bendy, I appreciate the comments. Yes there are exceptions, and Ehlers-Danlos may certainly be one of them. Genetics do play a huge role in many diseases, but also a lot of these genetics can be influenced and manipulated (for better or worse) to various degrees via diet and lifestyle modifications. I can’t specifically comment on Ehlers-Danlos, as I have not seen a patient with the disease.
Not all inflammatory issues are from a food allergy, but some are, and many can be provoked by a food sensitivity. Sure many dancers may have some hypermobility issues, actually I wouldn’t be surprised if most of them do; it’s probably part of what makes them good (genetically) at what they do. But change their diet, habits, and fix old injuries and muscle imbalances and amazing things happen – they need to stretch significantly less.
Excellent and informative article. Thank you!
Besides following a low-inflammation diet and/or reducing stress, is there any quick solution to increasing B12 intrinsic factor?
Meat and eggs would be your best option for B12. Or of course supplementation. I see methyl B12 to work better than the common Cyan or Hydroxyl B12. Also, a common sign of B12 deficiency is a MCV >90.0 in a typical CBC w/differential blood test. Greater than 90 could indicate B12 of folic acid deficiency, most often.
Hey Doc,
I am 22 years old, more active than average, but very inflexible. I’ve played sports my entire life and inflexibility has always been a problem (according to my coaches), but I have never sustained a significant injury. I would like to become more flexible so increase performance and be less at risk for injury. What is the healthiest way to increase my flexibility without stretching?
Also, I recently started wearing orthotics to combat foot pain related to walking or standing for long periods of time (very flat footed). The orthotics definitely make it more comfortable to stand or walk for long periods of time, but now it hurts to wear any other shoe. I’m open to going back to no orthotics, but what is your recommendation for people like me with very flat feet or general foot pain with any shoe?
Thanks
How is inflexibility a problem in your sport? Can you elaborate on this. If you’re not injured, then you may be just fine. But the way to naturally increase flexibility.
But wait! Your 2nd paragraph says you’re waring orthotics because you have foot pain – so you have an injury! Check out the orthotics post. I recently updated it with info on flat feet. This is very individualized, but you need to start walking barefoot as much as you can and start weaning off the orthotics.
Don’t eat food!
No wait, don’t eat bad food.
Don’t stretch!
No wait, don’t do bad stretching.
Good way to draw attention and increase web traffic, but the titillating title tactic is a turn-off.
“Stop static stretching” may not be as catchy, but it’s more honest. ‘Stretching’ isn’t a technical term. I think for most people it connotes yoga-type movements and dynamic stretching as well as static stretching. If the goal is to educate, then this distinction should be made clear from the get-go, in the title, especially since the comment section has made you aware that a lot of stuff is only half-read at best.
Still, thanks for the article, and the follow-up humor.
What about the fact that animals have much higher circulating levels of thymosins and much lower myostatin expression? Doesn’t that make their muscles much more pliable and flexible than humans? If a dog gets cut, they heal much faster than humans do due the fact that they have such high levels of thymosin beta 4.
Is there a way that we as humans can raise our natural levels of thymosins? Is there a way that we can minimize our myostatins?
I can’t comment on that Guy; I don’t know enough about it. Though if it is a consideration it would lead to an assumption that different mammals are more flexible than others, but that would still be “natural” for each individual mammal. I would not think it is a factor though unless a human had a gene mutation affecting the thymosin or myostatin, and I don’t know how common or uncommon that is. But feel free to share any knowledge on your end.
In my limited understanding, thymosins, and specifically thymosin beta 4, are higher in other mammals than humans. Greyhounds and thoroughbred horses have been studied for this gene since it supposedly is a predictor of faster animals. Thymosins are responsible for healing due to their effects on endothelial cell differentiation, angiogenesis, keratinocyte migration, and collagen deposition. Higher levels of thymosins are linked to lower injury rates in these animals, hence making them a better investment for serious investors. Thymosin beta 4 in particular is responsible for relaxing the muscles, which is likely the reason why we do not see animals stretching. Their high levels of thymosins probably keeps their muscles loose, and their fascial tissues likely are not as susceptible to adhesions as humans’ tissues.
Animals are much more independent than humans are when it comes to injuries. If you or I suffered a serious wound, we would likely need medical intervention to close the wound, but if you look at other mammals, they can sustain quite serious lacerations and they heal rapidly. I remember when my puppy stepped on a nail that literally went through her foot. I called the vet, and he said to wrap it up and bring her in first thing in the morning. By the next morning, she was almost completely healed. The vet’s words to me was, “God certainly made them more resilient than he made us.” Had I suffered a similar injury, I would’ve required immediate medical attention, and it would taken me weeks to heal. Ironically, it was this event that got me so interested in why animals heal so much faster than we do.
I may be jumping the gap here and overreaching, but I’m wondering if the very same things that make animals heal faster than us also allows them to stay more “supple” and overall healthier tissues than us as well.
As for myostatin, we have this gene that actually inhibits muscle growth. But mind you, that gene can also act on muscle healing. Myostatin is a secreted TGF beta protein that acts primarily on skeletal muscle by binding to the activin type II receptor. Animals have lower levels of myostatin than humans do and hence they gain muscle easier than humans do. Just look at how well muscled a gorilla or lion is. Yet, do you see them working out? Humans by comparison need alot of stimulus to induce muscle growth. But even a lion in captivity is muscular and powerful. And even a small chimp is capable of literally tearing the limbs off of a human.
I don’t know where I’m going with this since this isn’t exactly about stretching or loose vs tight muscles, but I suspect that there might be some kind of parallel as to why animals stay more flexible than humans. I don’t know if it’s because of thymosins, myostatin, or some other mechanism, but I do believe that there is something about animal biochemistry that sets them apart from humans.
Anyways, the Jack LaLanne just really caught my attention, and I thought maybe there was more science as to why you don’t see lions stretching. I can only speak based on what I know about dogs, but even then I’m reaching for a comparison of healing to muscle flexibility.
Doc,
I’m mostly interested in your opinion of post-exercise stretching. I agree that physiological research has shown that stretching causes excessive elongation of muscle fibers. This temporarily weakens the fibers, reducing strength and increasing the probability of injury. Static stretching should never be done before activity. However physiological research HAS shown that light post-activity static stretching increases blood flow, flexibility, and decreases recovery time.
Additionally, and this is just an interesting tidbit, I’m not sure if you own a cat or dog, but my dog stretches all the time. Usually after laying down and resting for a long time. And I see my friends’ cats and dogs stretch as well. Granted Dog-stretches aren’t 30-second holds, more like 2-second holds, but the point is that Yes, animals DO stretch.
I still don’t think that static stretching is beneficial post-exercise, other than perhaps the exceptions (dancers, gymnasts) as I mention. I still feel that as with a warm-up, aerobic activity and natural movements (dynamic stretching as some call it) are always best. I know of some studies that show that static stretching post exercise provides absolutely no benefit for decreasing muscle soreness; I am not sure on the parameters you mention, but I am interested. If you could point to those studies where static stretching has been shown to increase blood flow, flexibility, and decrease recovery I would like to check them out. One thing I am curious of with such studies is the comparison/control groups – dynamic stretching, aerobic cool-downs, or crashing on the couch afterwords?
And yes, on your dog/cat, as I mention towards the end of the post animals of course do stretch but they don’t static stretch – they move naturally.
1) I have also come upon statements that while it is quite commonly accepted that stretching done PRIOR a workout makes little sense or difference (they didn’t go as long as saying that it will cause more harm than bring benefits) but it is still important to stretch AFTER an activity. The reasoning would be that physical exertion and muscle work make them “tense” and contracted so it’s important to stretch – maybe not so much to elongate (loosen, expand) them excessively but to actually bring them back from the post-workout, tense, contracted state to their “normal” state. If not, then the next workout would begin with muscles still somewhat “contracted” after the previous workout (assumption being that everyday activities in between consecutive workouts – since often of much lower intensity – don’t “loosen them up” too much) and the next workout would still diminish their range of work etc. up to the point of injury or losing flexibility and reducing range of joint movement etc.
I’ve also heard opinions (from a pretty good sports orthopaedic surgeon) that it wouldn’t also hurt to moderately, prior to the workout, stretch only the muscles that “bend something” such as the hamstring, back calf muscles and that muscles in the front of the hips (the groin area?) responsible for raising thighs forward (sorry if I’m unclear, English is not my native tongue) – and then do a full stretch procedure on all major muscle groups (both the “benders” and the “straighteners”) after the workout.
From reading your thorough and informative article I can already presume (am I right?) that it if indeed there would be any excessive tension or contraction of some muscles, it would not really be because they’ve just worked hard but rather because their antagonist muscles are too weak (imbalance) so the contraction and tension are distributed unevenly and don’t “level out”. After all, if all muscles are firm in harmony, the bones will not let them contract indefinitely
2) Some sources describe and recommend the PIR (post-isometric relaxation) method of static stretching. So it would not be a typical “stretch and hold” situation. In the PIR procedure, one would gently stretch a muscle to the point of first signs of pain or tension (“pull” feeling). Then one would hold this position and apply gentle tension (up to about 20% of normal force, for about 8-10 seconds) to the muscle. This is supposed to overcome the neuromuscular feedback mechanism and make the muscle expand – which one actually feels since the feeling of tension or pain disappears. This is followed by relaxing the muscle (still holding the same position). Next, one stretches the muscle again, again to the point of the first pain or “pull” and so on. The cycles can be repeated up to the point at which pain or tension do not subside – which means that the muscle has reached its final relaxing potential.
What is your take on this?
3) Your criticism is mainly – as you write – towards static (stretch and hold) method but you seem to be saying that dynamic stretching “if done properly” can be beneficial. Would you please elaborate on this a little? What would be the best “natural movement” stretches? Should they be performed prior to the workout of following the workout (vis-a-vis warm-up and cool-down)?
Thank you for all your great input! I live far from US but really benefit greatly from the site
Thank you very much.
1) I don’t agree with stretching before or after. Physical exertion makes them “tense” is a misnomer – if you’re training to the point that they are abnormally “tense” then you’re doing something wrong. I don’t see how stretching after a workout is going to benefit a workout much later. If your muscles aren’t recovering on their own, something is not right.
I don’t agree with that ortho surgeon. Sorry. They’re great at surgery, and nothing personal to him/her but most surgeons are great at what they do, but they know as much about prevention and treatment as I do about surgery (that’s not much).
Yes on the 3rd paragraph.
2) I think PIR is not as bad as static stretching. If you’re going to do it I’d make sure you contract the antagonist muscle.
3) As I note I think that term dynamic stretching is a silly term. It’s natural movement – squat, bend, lift, etc… we don’t need to call this stretching. I’m a fan of MovNat (movnat.com) and I think they should be performed everyday. It doesn’t matter when.
REMEMBER (for everybody): the main point of the article is to put in your head: “WHY DO I NEED TO STRETCH?” – that’s the message here. Don’t just blindly do something because someone told you so or your heard it is good and everybody is doing it.
Thank you, Sir, for your kind and informative reply. I totally agree with your comment on narrow “focuseness” of many medical professionals.
Talking of PIR – I understand that you mean simultaneous, slight contraction of the antagonists? E.g. PIR-stretching the hamstring should be accompanied by contracting the quad a little at the same time?
Thank you again for all good info throughout this site, which I digest with real pleasure.
You’re welcome and yes on the PIR question > contract the quad.
Wow, finally someone who agrees with me! I could not figure out static stretching for the life of me when I was running track and XC in high school. Then again they also coached me into a very long stride which caused all sorts of issues. Now I’m running naturally, barefoot at times, much better form, and no stretching! Mostly because I’m lazy, and I’d rather spend my time running rather than stretching. I think what has been key for me (very rarely am I ever sore after runs) is a good warm up and cool down.
What’s missing here is the fact that most people’s bodies are OUT OF ALIGNMENT due to bad postural habits, too much sitting, and poor cultural messages about how to use our bodies. Stretching to regain alignment — not stretching for stretching’s sake — is completely necessary unless we want to continue to walk, jump, and run with poor alignment — which is what causes injury.
Well, though stretching will never correct a misalignment more than temporarily. You can’t stretch an over-facilitated “tight” muscle and expect it to become normally facilitated or inhibited.
sock-doc, I started running about 2 months ago and about 2 weeks ago i started doing calf raises all the time, and walking on my toes and heels which i read only was good for preventing shin splints since i had some pain but then went away, but ive also been stretching a lot, but i like what i read here and im going to stop… right now im having what i think are shin splints in both legs but more in my right one so im taking it easy… my question is: is it good to keep on doing the calf raises and toe and heel walking?? i feel like it helps, i think my muscles are getting stronger in that area… im also switching to nike frees which are closer to minamilst and will ease into them… im 21 btw, thank you, i think all you say in videos and articles makes a lot of sense…. one more thing, so you dont stretch at all? ever?, not even for cooling down?
I don’t see any reason to keep doing those calf raises and they won’t prevent shin splints, or correct SS if you have them. Neither will stretching. No reason to do heel walking. No reason to do toe walking – these are all silly drills. Walk and run naturally (barefoot or in minimalist shoes, whatever you are ready for) and check out the Shin Splint post and video on this site. The Nike Free are good. Get the 3.0, not the ‘+’.
And no, Sock Doc never ever stretches. I move a lot though in full range of motion. I would never hold a static stretch; that’s absurd.
thanks a lot for replying… one more question though, won’t the calf raises at least make my calves stronger which is good, or is running enough of exercise for the calves?.. and i already got the +3, so maybe in the future ill but the 3.0.. thanks a lot
They only will once the muscle is working correctly, and if it’s injured then it isn’t. You can “turn on” a muscle with exercise. It will never happen. Once the injury is corrected then you can do exercises. But calf raises will only get you so far – run hills, run barefoot – so much better.
Just so you know you’re not alone on this: as far back as 1998 the dutch exercise fysiologist Gerard van der Poel published the result of a 10-year literature study on this subject. Maybe the dutch olympic commitee NOC-NSF has an english translation, I’ll ask. If not I can summarize and translate the main points if you want. The literature list alone is 7 printed pages
. Maybe there’s something interesting in it…
Sure if you want to summarize and translate I’d love to see it. Thanks!
Hi Sock-Doc,
I wanted to write again as I have another question for you.
I have been running pain free for 4 months and now in my final prep for the start of the tri season but last weekend I pulled a muscle in my pec trying to remove the pedal on my bike!
After two days I massaged the area with my finger but I made it hurt more. At the weekend it was even difficult to breathe without pain (although not impossible – I ran a half marathon on Saturday). It is also hard to get out of bed in the morning.
The doctor said I have probably torn the muscle and has told me to start a stretching routine as soon as the pain reduces but I wondered what your approach would be to this. I am hoping to take part in my first tri in 2.5 weeks but am frightened to swim although I am still cycling and running.
What do you think is a sensible approach to returning to swimming?
Many thanks for your advice
Well that sucks.
A torn muscle and he says stretch? Unbelievable. Of course I would never give that advice.
Try looking for another trigger point in that shoulder area not on the pec where you injured it. BTW – I’m assuming you were using a pedal wrench and if so, then your pecs aren’t very active during that motion unless you were really pushing (down) hard. You sure it’s your pec?
Not sure, but that’s where the pain is. I was leaning over my bike, using the wrench in my right hand and bracing the left pedal with my left hand (probably stupid I know) so yes, I think I was pushing down with left arm and pulling up with right.
I realized earlier in the week that this area has not felt right for a long time, not painful but there has been a general tightness there. Can you advise any areas to check?
I posted this somewhere else first – sorry if you have to read it twice!
Email me a pix of where you have the pain.
Hi Sock-Doc,
I’ve had a problem with quadriceps tendonitis since doing squats without warming up properly a few years ago. I play lots of volleyball and feel it every now and then playing or going down stairs. Most of what I’ve read concerning preventing recurrence recommends stretching the quads and I have found that helps when I’m doing it regularly. However, I was wondering if there might be a typical muscle imbalance which can lead to quadriceps tenodonitis? I like to stay away from static stretching as much as possible doing dynamic warmups and such, but not sure what to do about the tendonitis? Ideally if there is an exercise or something else which could help in prevention I would prefer that to continuing stretching.
Cheers,
Mike
Hey Mike – check out the knee video: http://sock-doc.com/2012/04/sock-doc-knee-video/
Thank you for this article. I used to stretch a lot and got lower back pain from tight hamstrings (sometimes extremely painful and couldn’t stretch much past my knees) so I stretched more and more. Since January after reading this I haven’t stretched once. I feel so much better – to make my point, I did a 100Km mountain bike ride yesterday and can bend past my toes today with no pain anywhere. I have been recommending no stretching to people for weeks now but all I get is weird looks! To anyone critical, just give it a go for a month before ridiculing it. Thanks again.
I love to hear this stuff – thanks for sharing!
“I love to hear this stuff ” – well, then I hope a little update from me won’t hurt your ears
When I started running (a comeback after quite many years off, in the meantime an anterior cross ligament surgery and a complicated calf fracture right above the ankle – both on the same leg) my legs protested in a variety of ways when forced to the long-forgotten activity (I did recreationally bike a lot but that’s a different type of burden on the muscles). Muscle soreness here and there, knee pains, ankle pains… I was really worried if I could keep going and the prospect of abandoning running was looming on the horizon. I gradually worked up to about one hour of continuous jog but still was coming back home sore and exhausted. And then – cold turkey – did the PIR stretching.
Then 3 things happened – largely as a result of my perusing natural running resources, including this site:
1) I started using a heart rate monitor;
2) I decided to follow the Maffetone’s formula and the “take it easy, build the aerobic base first” approach;
3) I stopped stretching entirely.
Well… for now, it’s been working very well for me. The HRM immediately told me that I had been simply going too fast during the previous runs, putting too much workload on the body in the anaerobic (or mixed) zone. So now I’ve been doing my runs (much of this is still easy trotting along) without red face with pounding veins or gallons of sweat, with no pain or soreness and with sheer pleasure of moving outdoors. I can very quickly recover after every run. Of course, it’s not about competition but leisure and recreation – but in this area and for my specific individual purpose I can easily answer the WHY question to stretching by saying “well, I don’t really see any good reason”. Thanks, Doc!
Hi Doctor;
I’m dealing with a recurring calf injury, I understand trigger points and am massaging the area regularly, it is deep in the belly of the calf muscle and radiates down to my heel. There is alot of information on your site and I am trying to figure out the best way to, not only, get back to train for my ultra, but treat the injury so that it is not a constant ‘weak point’ (I push my pace on hills and the calf muscles strains then quickly pulls). Nutritionally I am a vegetarian, and am wondering if the B12 deficiency may be part of my issue.
Thanks
Kathleen
B12 deficiency could be, but so could a protein deficiency or a carbohydrate excess, or a fatty acid deficiency. Could be overtraining too…lots of things to consider.
Doc,
About a year ago, I began switching my running style to midsole striking (although I continued to wear support running shoes) and ran pain free for about 6 months. Then I had achilles tendonitis for which I followed physical therapy’s orders with stretching/ice/ibuprofen. It didn’t work. Finally, I did the opposite of the instructions and foam rolled my calf and it was better quickly. More recently, I developed knee/hip issues from tight glute/hamstring. I am seeing a chiro who is doing trigger point once a week but also recommending stretches (which I ignore). Sometimes I foam roll as well. I also am working on some dietary changes after having learned a few things on your site, which may be part of the reason I keep getting injured. Thank you.
However, I just started wearing Kinvara 2 in the past couple weeks and now I have a sharp pain in my foot. Maybe I did too much too soon?
I thought I might have broken one of the little bones but from the descriptions I’ve read, it doesn’t seem that way (it’s not tender on top). But it’s very sore to the touch on the under side of my foot in the middle of the arch (when I press firmly). It hurts when I run and if I stand flat footed but not if I stand on my toes. Is it soft tissue damage? Is it likely I can do some home trigger point with a golf ball or my thumb (it’s very painful so I lose confidence in it being best for me) or does this sound like something that needs professional care? My issue is that I haven’t agreed with their diagnoses/treatment in the past but I don’t want to make it worse. Thanks for any suggestions!
Best, Sara
I’ll have a foot video soon but I go over the foot a bit in the other videos – including the Knee Video; check them out.
Re: The Kinvara – could be too soon, or could be that style/model just doesn’t work for you.
The “zero tolerance” title is misleading. You obviously advocate stretching in some circumstances. Most people normally think in only 2 dimensions-its good/bad,black/white. More thought than that is more intellectual energy than most want to expend. Priming the thought process of the reader with that title leaves little room for the discernment expressed several paragraphs and replies down. Yoga is extremely beneficial.
Sure – I would agree there but I wouldn’t call it “misleading”. A title “Stop Static Stretching but Do Natural Movement and Let’s Not Use the Term Dynamic Stretching and Yoga is Okay if it’s Not Just Stretching” – a bit long