Member of the Month

JalmarKalmar
April, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Stretching?

profile picture
Shilling
Posts: 774 - Karma: 14
OK so what is the most effective way to stretch? My cousin saw me stretching and asked me what i had been doing and i just said watching ski edits and then he went on about how you have to warm up before stretching or else it doesnt barely affect you. is this true? do you just benefit more after a warm up?
Jun 23 2009 2:10AM
0 0
profile picture
deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,500
yes it does help a little to run get your body temp up before you stretching it will help a lot
Jun 23 2009 2:13AM
0 0
profile picture
jKutcher
Posts: 3936 - Karma: 4,260
you are supposed to stretch an hour or 2 after activity.  Static stretching before an explosive activity is not very good for you.  Active warm ups are much better for you
Jun 23 2009 2:19AM
0 0
profile picture
Shilling
Posts: 774 - Karma: 14
im just looking for maximum flexibility increase.
Jun 23 2009 2:31AM
0 0
profile picture
Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
warming up is more effective before stretching as it lengthens and loosens your muscles. Thats not to say that stretching in your house without stretching doesn't help, but just a little less effective.
Jun 23 2009 3:15AM
0 0
profile picture
BigJew
Posts: 6974 - Karma: 79
I usually do a single lap through the park to check everything out and get slightly warmed up. Then I click out of my skis at the bottom and run a little ways up the hill to get the blood flowing.

You want a dynamic stretch before activity and a static stretch after.

I start at the top of my body with medium fast neck rolls, then arm swings and a quick wrist and finger stretch, upper body trunk rotations, hip rotations, and finish it off with leg swings.

This gets me warmed up and stretched. I never used to stretch but I noticed I'm not half as sore after a big crash and a hard day of skiing after stretching so now I stretch every day.
Jun 23 2009 3:29AM
0 0
profile picture
selkirks
Posts: 1978 - Karma: 59
To quote my coach and teacher:

Ideally the order of activity progression should be:

Warm Up (minimum 7-10 minutes at a conversational pace or jog before a pre-stretch)
Pre-Stretch (ideally, each stretch should be held for 60 seconds. Practically, 30 seconds is sufficient.)
Activity
Cool Down/Warm Down (minimum 7-10 minutes at a conversational pace or jog after an activity)
Post-Stretch (same as pre-stretch)


Jun 23 2009 3:38AM
0 0
profile picture
Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
word, lots of people say that static stretching before an activity increases your chance of an injury.
Jun 23 2009 3:39AM
0 0
profile picture
Tinga
Posts: 11349 - Karma: 2,333
stretching in general will increase your overall flexibility and flexibility decreases your risk of injury such as muscle tears pulled muscles and the ever so present ligament/tendon tears such as acl/mcl rotator cuff and so on.
Jun 23 2009 4:13AM
0 0
profile picture
Dr.DRE
Posts: 246 - Karma: 270
Warm up your muscles before u try stretching (Jog, side shuffles...) because trying to stretch before your muscles are lose and warm up can lead to an injury and your flexibility can sometimes get worst.

To improve your flexibility you have to push your stretching and hold the stretch for a long time (18s-30s). When you exhale you have pull or push the stretch farther then before till you feel uncomfterbal and hold that stretch. And then the next time you can go a little farther with the stretch.

Jun 23 2009 7:15AM
0 0
profile picture
Hylde
Posts: 32 - Karma: 10
You shouldnt stretch (static) before skiing (or any other sports). Instead do a normal warm-up and ballistic stretching. Ballistic stretching uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it beyond its normal range of motion.

For better flexibilty you should look into PNF stretching. This should be treated like a strength execise and not something you do after sports.

This kind of stretching involves the patient to fire the tight muscle isometrically against resistance for roughly 20 seconds. Then, the patient relaxes for roughly 5 seconds, and then applies a stretch at the newly found end range. This technique utilizes the golgi tendon organ, which relaxes a muscle after a sustained contraction has been applied to it for longer than 6 seconds.

My advice would be to do your own research on this topic.

sources: 
http://www.marykaa.com/fitness/PNF/pnf1.htm

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/the_stretching_roundtable_i
Jun 23 2009 7:41AM
0 0
profile picture
smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,373
just go to YOGAH classes because it not only helps your flexability, it helps the flexability of your mind.
Jun 23 2009 11:56AM
0 0
profile picture
@skiinmitch
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
.
Jun 23 2009 12:53PM
0 0
profile picture
cashdebt
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 349
Click for larger image
Jun 23 2009 12:59PM
0 0
profile picture
Hansel.
Posts: 4583 - Karma: 112
make sure you warm up a bit before you stretch, be that a light jog or a groomer whatever. just light activity. second of all you have to stretch at least 30 seconds to get an effective stretch. ya thats right all that stuff your coaches teach you about how 12 seconds is better than 10 is bull shit. next. dont just focus on your legs or just your upper body, stretch everything. finally after your day working out stretch everything again.
Jun 23 2009 1:01PM
0 0
profile picture
Purple
Posts: 32 - Karma: 31
Exactly what I thought when I read the title...
Jun 23 2009 1:36PM
0 0
profile picture
Chronic_
Posts: 1730 - Karma: 1,601
For daily stretching i usually do a quick stretch when i wake up holding each for 10 seconds working from neck down. then ill do the same around noon and again before i go to sleep. This may not sound effective but its been really helping and im almost never sore after an activity
Jun 23 2009 1:50PM
0 0
profile picture
Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,356
In sports we always were taught that Dynamic stretching during warm-ups and inplace stretching at tha end of activity were tha way to do it.
Jun 23 2009 2:21PM
0 0
profile picture
EMK
Posts: 1632 - Karma: 669
I was toally thinking about makeing a thread like this. I've stated going to th gym a lot more and i don't want it to cause me to cease up.
If when i go there and i just go straight on the bike then do static streaches after before i lift anything is this good or bad?
when i go i usually go bike>stretches>wieghts>stretches>stepper>stretches but i didn't know the idea of not static streaches and i don't know how long to do streaches for or if what i do is even good for me.
Jun 23 2009 5:15PM
0 0
profile picture
CTD
Posts: 6300 - Karma: 348
newschoolers should totally post an official summer workout stretching guide like youd find in mens health or something.
Jun 23 2009 5:36PM
0 0
profile picture
Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9091 - Karma: 3,017
hahaha Ian I should make fun of you but I would be lying if I said that I've never done this
Jun 23 2009 5:43PM
0 0
profile picture
OneLove_skier
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 135
win
Jun 23 2009 5:49PM
0 0
profile picture
merrick
Posts: 103 - Karma: 96
yoga ftw
i dont stretch before skiing heard bad things.
Jun 23 2009 6:16PM
0 0
profile picture
jennyboots
Posts: 114 - Karma: 9
its totally debatable to stretch before or after activity, i do both. i perform better if i stretch before and if i stretch afterwards my back and neck don't hurt as much.
Jun 23 2009 6:38PM
0 0
profile picture
Tele_Tubbie
Posts: 49 - Karma: -18

noooo, static stretching is no bueno for your muscles, it will weaken your muscles by up to 30% D:

a good warm up consists of something that will warm you up and get the blood a pumpin, ie a light jog

google it :P

Jan 30 2010 10:31PM
0 0
profile picture
starrdog7
Posts: 42 - Karma: 10
man i am the most inflexible person, didnt know you had to warm up before a static stretch, thanks for the tips! might even be able to grab my skis this year!
Jan 31 2010 10:44AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4)