Modern science is always leading us in new directions it seems. Regardless of what you learned in high school gym class, touching your toes or engaging in other forms of “static stretching” of holding a position for 20-30 seconds is not only not benefiting your muscles, it is actually hurting them.
The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known
as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It
actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all.
This is good to know since I regularly use these “static stretches” before any exercise I do. Looks like it’s time to alter my routine.
