does stretching after running really help to avoid muscle pain?

Question

Someone told me that stretching after sporting isn't actually helping to prevent muscle pain. Is this true? If not, please describe your favourite stretching exercise

Answer 1

Yes, stretching after any type of physical activity is ideal. You help the muscle to cool down and properly cooling down prevents injury.
Think of it like this: Imagine that you have a rubber band and (using both hands) you stretch it almost to capacity. This represents how much you are exerting your muscles as you exercise. Now, just let the rubber band go. It snaps quickly and returns to it's tight form. That's what happens to your muscles when you just abruptly stop moving. Your muscles snap to a resting state. Pull the rubber band taut again but this time, slowly guide it back to its original form. The motion is a lot more gentle and its slower. Again, this is applicable to your muscles. Gradually cooling them down makes you less susceptible to injury.
My favorite stretching exercise before and after a good workout is walking. Pull the abs in tight to support your core...you can walk briskly, then slow it down. You can also take large strides to lengthen out your leg muscles...swing your arms quickly to raise the heart rate; swing them slowly to bring it down. You can modify this to fit a warm-up or a cool-down.
Good luck!

Answer 2

Its better to stretch muscles when they're warmed up. Injury can come from overstretching while muscles are not warmed up (e.g. before a run first thing in the morning). It is preferable to run at a "do no harm pace" for about 10 minutes or so and then do some mild stretching. Your calf and achilles pain probably come from improper footstriking for too long a distance -- either excessive or forefoot striking. I would suggest a midfoot strike below the center of gravity until you build up mileage. Also I would try to relax everything from the knee down when running. Mind you, this technique is part of POSE, CHI Running or Revolution Running technique for longer distances but is biomechanically more efficient. Hot and cold packs? Go swimming instead.

Answer 3

Stretching is vital to running and any sport. Before you run, stretch for at least 10 min and either walk briskly or do a light jog to get your muscles warmed up. After your run, stretch again and walk to cool down. Warm muscles don't pull.

Answer 4

It helps but only a little. The most benefit stretching has is to minimise the shrinking of muscles as in contraction! The best thing to do is warm up then stretch before exercise.

Answer 5

It does. I played football for a long time and had very trainings most of the time.

Stretching your muscles helps you to prevent from injuries and also to avoid the muscle pain.

Answer 6

Stretching BEFORE and AFTER exercise is very important. At least ten minutes.

Answer 7

stretching is good for form and strides. stretching after is good to help your body and muscles settle down.

Answer 8

absolutely. sometimes you don't even feel it the next day if you get in a good post-run stretch.

Answer 9

Yes, it really does. So does warming up with about five minutes of brisk walking before and cooling down with about two minutes of it.

Answer 10

stretch all muscle individualy