{"id":432595,"date":"2026-01-23T16:52:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/432595\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T16:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:52:12","slug":"you-might-be-stretching-the-wrong-way-scientists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/432595\/","title":{"rendered":"You might be stretching the wrong way, scientists say"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMuscles often move three-dimensionally so stretching a muscle in multiple planes is of optimal benefit,\u201d says Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist at San Diego State University.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

Stretching is recommended to improve range of motion and reduce muscle stiffness, both acutely and chronically. The question is, “How much is too much?”<\/p>\n

FreshSplash, Getty Images (Top) (Left) and Daniel de la Hoz, Getty Images (Bottom) (Right)<\/p>\n

Myth: It\u2019s best to hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fact: Experts recommend holding a static stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, then repeating the stretch two to four times. An exception: Adults over 65 may benefit from holding a stretch<\/a> \u201cfor 30 to 60 seconds because their connective tissue and muscles respond more slowly,\u201d says Tracy Bonoffski, an exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina Charlotte.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the duration of a static stretching session doesn\u2019t need to be long to be effective: In a review of 189 studies, published in a 2025 issue of the journal Sports Medicine<\/a>, researchers found that four minutes of static stretching improves flexibility in adults and there\u2019s no additional benefit to doing more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Myth: If you don\u2019t stretch regularly, your muscles will shorten.<\/p>\n

Fact: While it\u2019s true that stretching regularly can improve your range of motion and reduce muscle stiffness, as the international panel noted, your muscles cannot physically shorten if you don\u2019t stretch. \u201cWhen you stretch, you\u2019re not physically lengthening your muscles,\u201d Bonoffski says. \u201cYou\u2019re changing the brain\u2019s ability to tolerate a greater range of motion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Females bodies are uniquely flexible\u2014here\u2019s why that makes them strong<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

So if you don\u2019t stretch, \u201cthat tightness you feel is more neurological in nature,\u201d Bryant says. \u201cIt means your nervous system is in protective mode\u201d\u2014perhaps to prevent your muscles and joints from getting injured.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Myth: Bouncing while you hold a stretch can improve your flexibility.<\/p>\n

Fact: Bouncing while you stretch is called ballistic stretching, and it can often be counter-productive. If you do it when your muscles are cold, for instance, it could lead to muscle strain or tendon injury. \u201cBouncing could cause muscles to contract, rather than relax,\u201d says Mariam Zakhary, a sports medicine physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. \u201cYou want controlled, dynamic movements to improve flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

An exception: ballistic stretching can be helpful for highly trained athletes such as sprinters, jumpers, and other people who are used to explosive movement\u2014that is, if they have prepared their muscles well with a proper warm up and dynamic stretching first, Bonoffski says.<\/p>\n

Myth: Stretching before you work out will prevent sore muscles afterward.<\/p>\n

Fact: \u201cThere\u2019s no evidence that delayed onset muscle soreness [DOMS] is decreased because of stretching,\u201d says Behm. DOMS, which refers to muscle discomfort and fatigue that typically develops 24 to 48 hours after vigorous exercise, is caused by microscopic tears in muscle fibers. Stretching before exercising won\u2019t prevent that phenomenon; it\u2019s a natural response to a hard workout.<\/p>\n

(How you can change your body’s threshold for pain<\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cMuscles often move three-dimensionally so stretching a muscle in multiple planes is of optimal benefit,\u201d says Fabio Comana,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[226319,64,63,226320,226317,538,137,226315,226318,226316,131637,148189],"class_list":{"0":"post-432595","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-active-stretching","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-ballistic-stretching","12":"tag-dynamic-stretching","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-health","15":"tag-how-to-stretch","16":"tag-passive-stretching","17":"tag-static-stretches","18":"tag-stretching","19":"tag-stretching-exercises"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=432595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}