Q&A: What’s The Best Way To Stretch? (And Do You Even Need To?)
Today I’ll answer two questions from readers on the topic of stretching and mobility. If you have a question that aligns with the MindBodyDad theme then send it over.
Hey, love your blog. As a father of 3, my time is limited and I try to get in a workout when I can. That being said, I’d rather use that time actually exercising instead of stretching even though I know stretching is important. What are the best post workout exercises that can give me the most bang for my buck? The most efficient/effective stretches when you are short on time?
-Matt
Hello! First, I just want to say that I love your newsletter, especially the takeaways from books you have read. You have saved me so much time by just passing along the important information! My question is about mobility. Everyone talks about how it is so important but I want to know why. Thank you!
-Meredith
Hey Matt and Meredith, these are great questions.
Let’s start by tackling the buzzword “mobility”. While it’s all the rage now, it’s a term that has been around for a long time. Mobility means the ability to move through normal ranges of motion with control. “Mobility drills” and “mobility exercises” are simply the contraction and relaxation of muscles through a movement. Flexibility, on the other hand, is the temporary elongation of your connective tissues (think muscles, tendons, ligaments). In lieu of getting into a battle of semantics, the take-home point is that they’re both important and they should both be challenged. For the purposes of this post, I’ll break down the benefits of stretching and then how to challenge your range of motion (both flexibility and mobility) throughout the day.
The Best Way To Stretch
Stretching has been shown to reduce inflammation, improve performance, improve mood, and, of course, improve flexibility or range of motion (ROM). There are generally two types of stretching: dynamic and static. Dynamic stretching consists of controlled swings of the body (arms, legs, trunk) whereas static stretching consists of holding a muscle for a sustained period of time.
Back in the 90’s we were touching our toes and pulling our heels to our butts before every practice, game, and gym class. Was this really the best way to stretch?
To understand the effects of stretching before a workout, researchers had athletes perform one of three movements before a jumping exercise: static stretching, dynamic stretching, and no stretching. While static and dynamic stretching improved performance on the sit-and-reach test, it was only through the use of dynamic stretching where their jump improved. Additionally, in a systematic review of 106 studies, static stretching (for longer than 60-second holds) has been shown to impede explosive muscle strength and power altogether. Stretching for less than 60 seconds didn't have these effects but they also didn't seem to provide a benefit.
What about static stretching after an exercise or just throughout the week? A study determined that holding a stretch for 30 seconds improved range of motion (ROM) whereas pushing it to a 60-second hold or bumping it up from once a day to three times a day showed no added benefit. The minimum frequency, according to this review, is stretching a muscle group for 5 minutes per muscle group per week.
Are Humans Meant To Stretch?
Now let's take a step back. Do we really need to stretch? Were our primal ancestors swinging their hips and touching their toes? Probably not.
All of the benefits of stretching (decreased inflammation, improved performance, improved mood, better ROM) are the same benefits you get from simply moving. Our bodies were meant to move and move in a variety of ways. While our hunter-gatherer ancestors were squatting at meals, climbing trees to get honey, and running miles to hunt dinner, nowadays, the average American is moving less than 2 miles per day and the average office worker is sitting 15(!) hours a day (which doesn't even include the commute). We have more pain, less flexibility, and the "old man posture" is now common in the 20-year-old.
Our environment is literally shaping us so it's critical to establish good, effective habits to challenge our range of motion and break this trend. As the old adage goes, move it or lose it. It’s also important to note that some need to prioritize these approaches more than others. Factors that influence your general flexibility and mobility include your activity level, preferred activities, age, history of injuries, level of tonicity (hyper-, hypo-, or typical), job, and even things like your stress level.
To (finally) answer your question, Matt, the post-exercise static stretch can be an effective way to improve your range of motion and down-regulate from your workout but don't limit your stretch to this time and don't limit your time to stretching.
Here are some other general strategies to maintain or improve flexibility throughout the day:
Create a dynamic workstation (standing desk, physioball, mat for kneeling, etc.).
Take phone calls on walks.
Incorporate microworkouts or "workout snacks" throughout the day. Have a pull-up bar and the versatile kettlebell in your office and set the timer for one set of a different exercise every 30 minutes. Ideas include dead hangs, squats, lateral lunges, trunk rotations, kettlebell swings, pushups, and unilateral movements like single-leg deadlifts.
Add friction to your body by deliberately placing frequently used things in spots that require you to bend, twist, or reach (e.g. plates and cups in a low cabinet, spices in a high cabinet, putting your phone on the floor between use).
When using your phone: go into a deep squat against a wall, prop your elbows on your knees, and use your phone at eye level, holding this position.
Get on the ground with your kids whenever you can. Don't let your butt touch a chair or couch when you're with them. For as long as we’ve had kids in diapers, my wife and I would only change them on the floor.
Go through a quick sun salutation when while your coffee brews or before bed. Better yet, make it a morning routine with your kids.
Use static stretching as a way to improve mental health by combining it with mindfulness, meditation, or breathwork practices. Combining your stretching with these can more effectively transition out of the sympathetic state (fight, flight, freeze) to the parasympathetic state (rest, digest, repair).
General Stretching Principles
Use dynamic stretching before workouts. Move in a controlled way that approaches the end range of your joints instead of aggressively pushing the range.
I also warm up during the exercise. For example, the first set of most of my lifting exercises is 25-50% of my target weight for later sets. With endurance, I'll gradually increase my pace and oftentimes use the first minute to identify tighter areas which I then stop and loosen up further, if needed.
I also incorporate dynamic movements between sets such as shoulder pass-throughs, deep squats, hip hinges, and down dogs.
Incorporate static stretching throughout the week. Aim for 5 minutes of a muscle group each week with 30-second holds for each stretch.
Identify the most restricted parts of your body and prioritize these in both forms of stretching.
Even very active athletes like runners, swimmers, and cyclists limit their movement primarily to the sagittal plane (the plane that divides the right and left side of the body) which leaves them open to limitations in areas such as rotation and lateral ranges. Challenge all planes of movement, especially those where you tend to be most restricted.
Takeaway
Just like you can’t outwork a bad diet, you can’t outstretch an immobile or sedentary lifestyle. If the goal is to improve flexibility while also improving health then the best bang for your buck is to set a high-level goal to move more often through the end ranges of your joints. Stretching is still good, but movement is probably better.
This can understandably be difficult for the average person so prioritize your kink in the chain (e.g. tight hamstrings) and address this each time you stretch. The best way to stretch is to create a habit of staying loose by dynamically stretching before workouts and use the post-exercise window--and the principles above--to down-regulate your nervous system by incorporating a static stretching routine.
Resources
Two great books on this topic are Deskbound and Becoming A Supple Leopard, both by Kelly Starrett. They provide ways to assess your mobility and treatment interventions with pictures. I pull them out whenever I notice one area of my body becoming tight. Another great resource is Katy Bowman, a biomechanistic who has made a living out of moving better, penning seven books on the topic, including Rethinking Your Position. She also has plenty of blog posts such as Office Life: How To Get More Movement In A 9 To 5.
Hope this helped!
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