The Massage Geek^® Blog

Is it essential to stretch and be flexible? I think yes, it is. Can a person stretch too much? Yes. Here is a very interesting New York Times article about the economy of flexibility. According to them, the more flexible a runner is the lower their performance. And they are probably right.

For years I have been telling my clients to NOT stretch before an event for this very reason. Instead, I recommend they stretch AFTER an event. But the purpose is not to lengthen a muscle or stretch out tendons and ligaments. The purpose is to separate the fibers and layers of tissue to prevent adhesions. THAT kind of suppleness will serve you quite well. And I think that is why resistance stretching is so effective. The best analogy I can think of is those 3M Command adhesive strips. Pull them taut and slow, voilà! Unstuck.

Someone might say “But Lynn, if you are more flexible you can extend further and your running stride will be longer and more fluid.” I would answer “Yes. If you are STRONG at your end-range.” If your are just loose and weak, the flexibility will not improve your performance and possibly will be detrimental. Hm. I see opportunity for injury here. I surmise this weakness is why the loose feeling after a stretch does not last (as mentioned in the article). This is why resistance stretching is doubly effective. It builds strength at the end-range.

I’m starting to sound like a commercial for resistance stretching. That is not my intention. Resisted and passive stretching make good partners. Passive stretching seems to target the attachments and tendons while resisted stretching seems to target the belly of the muscle.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

“…they found that, across the board, the tightest runners were the most economical. This was true throughout the groups and within the genders. The inflexible men were more economical than the women, and for both men and women, those with the tightest hamstrings had the best running economy. They also typically had the fastest 10-kilometer race times. Probably, the researchers concluded, tighter muscles allow “for greater elastic energy storage and use” during each stride. Inflexibility, in other words, seems to make running easier.”