Stretching is one of the most controversial topics in sports science. Previously promised miracle effects of a stretching program are no longer up to date, and recent studies show that stretching exercises can even have negative effects on sport. Nevertheless, many coaches, sports teachers, recreational, amateur and competitive athletes swear by stretching exercises before, during and after sporting performance.
Advantages
Stretching or even stretching can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. It can release existing muscle tension, stretch shortened muscles and improve muscle tone. As a result, muscular imbalances can be avoided, thus preventing poor posture.
Stretching leads to an activation of the metabolism and increases the blood circulation in the muscles. After a training session, the muscles can regenerate better and faster. In addition, healthy muscles and ligaments minimize the susceptibility to injury.
The mobility of the whole body increases and the coordinative performance becomes better. Stretching is part of every training and competition as a preparation and/or follow-up and offers many advantages. By static stretching exercises one understands the conventional stretching Stretching.
The muscle is stretched for a certain time (usually 15-30 sec.) and this position is held for the said period of time. Static stretching immediately before the sport increases the range of motion of the joints and is therefore especially important for those sports where a high degree of mobility (flexibility) is decisive for performance.
These are, for example, gymnastics, dancing and gymnastics. Static stretching is not recommended for sports with fast, powerful loads (sprinting, weight training, etc.). A specific warm-up program and dynamic stretching exercises (see below) should be performed before the training.
Static stretching should therefore not be considered for strength, speed or endurance training, but as an isolated training session (e.g. Monday: strength, Tuesday: endurance and Wednesday: stretching). Even if stretching is not considered effective in recent studies, it should not be forgotten that stretching is one of the conditional abilities besides strength, speed and endurance. Who would like to do nevertheless not without the stretching exercises before and after the sport, this alone for psychological reasons also not to do.
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