Experts says Not Stretching Gives a Better Workout

The latest Research from some experts in London is to not carry our stretching exercises prior to a workout.

We all take it for granted that we should do some stretching to loosen our muscles prior to working out. However, many fitness experts are increasing stating that such routines can end up being very harmful.

Stretching exercises such as bending over to touch your toes more often causes your muscles to tighten which is the opposite of what we need to happen. This is because when we stretch, our bodies may think that it is being overstretched and react by contracting the muscle which makes it more likely that you could have an injury while exercising.


Instead of stretching, many experts recommend warming up with a light jog or sport-specific exercise, like kicking for football or a few serves for tennis. That type of light movement increases the heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, warming up the body temperature.

Maximizing the benefits of stretching may simply boil down to a matter of when you do it and how, according to Jonny Booth, a health and fitness manager at a north London branch of gym chain Fitness First.

"If you are going to stretch your muscles and then do some intense training, you're not going to get fantastic results," he said.

Instead, Booth recommends active stretches that mimic the movement of your intended activity, like some deep knee lunges while walking for runners.