This article from the New York Times has some great insights that tie into my previous post, “the Importance of Stretching in Earnest.”
Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you. The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong.
Essentially, researchers are saying that slow stretching before athletic exertion isn’t good for you, which makes sense, given that your body needs a long time to recover from lengthy stretches. So what to do?
A well-designed warm-up starts by increasing body heat and blood flow. Warm muscles and dilated blood vessels pull oxygen from the bloodstream more efficiently and use stored muscle fuel more effectively. They also withstand loads better.
For illustrated exercises and more detailed tips, read the full article at the New York Times.
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