Don’t forget to stretch

  • Published
  • By Maj. Joel Dixon
  • 60th Surgical Operations Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Having had the privilege to work with the Air Force Men's and Women's Volleyball teams last year, it came to my attention how many people do not stretch properly before workouts. During the three-week tryouts for the teams, I saw many elite-level athletes with injuries that could have easily been prevented with proper stretching.
So, what does this have to do with Air Force personnel? All Airmen are supposed to be working out three times a week, but how many are stretching regularly? And who is doing it correctly?

There are numerous theories as to when to stretch: before, during or after workouts. One current and popular theory is to perform dynamic stretching (active movements) before exercise, and then cool down with static stretching (prolonged hold without bouncing) after the workout.

There are many variations on stretching depending on the activity such as static stretching.

Static stretching should occur immediately after a workout, but it can also be done as a totally separate activity. The most important aspect about static stretching is how long to hold each stretch. Many may remember high school sports or physical education classes, where participants stretched together for 10 counts and bounced up and down with each count? That was probably the worst thing a person could have been taught about stretching.

When a muscle is stretched for such a short time, it does not actually get a true stretch. In fact, bouncing to stretch a muscle can actually cause injuries rather than prevent them. Some people still stretch this way before workouts at the Fitness Center.
So, how long should a person stretch? To answer this, people must understand the elastic and plastic properties of muscles. The elastic property is easiest to understand if it is compared to a rubber band. When a rubber band is pulled from both ends, it stretches to a new length, however, when you let go it returns to its original size. This is not a productive stretch.

Instead, the goal is to get the muscle to the plastic stage. An easy example of this is to think of pulling on the two ends of a piece of taffy. The taffy stretches, but when you let go it does not return to its original size. The goal for stretching is to cause a lasting elongation of the muscle, as we would see with the taffy stretching. To accomplish this, a muscle needs to be stretched for at least two minutes.

Bottom line: Those "10-count" stretches don't cut it! Stretches should be held for a minimum of three sets of 30-second holds.

Good luck out there and try to stretch regularly. Remember, it doesn't matter when someone stretches, but how.