INJURY PREVENTION - Good stretch or bad stretch?

Brad Walker explains how to determine if a stretch is suitable for you or not.

So, are there only good stretches and bad stretches? Is there no middle ground? And if there are only good and bad stretches, how do you decide which ones are good and which ones are bad?

Let us put an end to the confusion once and for all...

There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch! Just as there are no good or bad exercises, there are no good or bad stretches; only what is appropriate for the specific requirements of the individual. So a stretch that is perfectly okay for me may not be okay for you or someone else.

Let me give you an example. You would not ask someone with a shoulder injury to do push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that does not mean that these are bad exercises. Now, consider the same scenario from a stretching point of view. You would not ask that same person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that does not mean that all shoulder stretches are bad.

You see, the stretch itself is not good or bad, it is the way it is performed and who it is performed on, that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful. To place a particular stretch into a category of "Good" or "Bad" is foolish and dangerous. To label a stretch as "Good" gives people the impression that they can do that stretch whenever and however they want and it will not cause them any problems.

The specific requirements of the individual are important!

Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. Just like a motor vehicle, it is what you do with it that makes it good or bad. However, when choosing a stretch there are a number of precautions and "checks" you need to perform before giving that stretch the okay.

 

20 injury prevention tips:

● Avoid training when you are tired.
● Increase your consumption of carbohydrate during periods of heavy training.
● Increase in training should be matched with increases in resting.
● Any increase in training load should be preceded by an increase in strengthening.
● Treat even seemingly minor injuries very carefully to prevent them becoming a big problem.
● If you experience pain when training stop your training session immediately.
● Never train hard if you are stiff from the previous effort.
● Pay attention to hydration and nutrition.
● Use appropriate training surfaces.
● Check training and competition areas are clear of hazards.
● Check equipment is appropriate and safe to use.
● Introduce new activities very gradually.
● Allow lots of time for warming up and cooling off .
● Check over training and competition courses beforehand.
● Train on different surfaces, using the right footwear.
● Shower and change immediately after the cool down.
● Aim for maximum comfort when travelling.
● Stay away from infectious areas when training or competing very hard.
● Be extremely fussy about hygiene in hot weather.
● Monitor daily for signs of fatigue, if in doubt ease off.
● Have regular sports massage.