At a Stretch

Stretching seems like a pain, so when time is tight it's probably the first thing to drop off your workout to-do list. Skip the stretching, however, and you increase the injury risk and miss out on sports performance.

Stretching takes time, it's uncomfortable and it's hard to see the point. Until something goes wrong of course, at which point you can't decide which is harder to put up with - your pulledltom/slipped thingumajig, or all that told-you-so stuff about stretching from your trainer/chiropractor/doctor. Bizarre though it sounds, it's possible that the time you're spending in the gym may be just setting you up for an injury. Strength training creates stronger muscles but may reduce the flexibility of the connective tissue surrounding the muscle groups. which means that the fitter you are, the more you need to stretch.

There's more to stretching than just avoiding injury, however. By gently extending the range of movement in joints and muscles you open up new performance possibilities. Longer strides when running, or strokes when swimming, and better skiing technique are among the potential benefits of extended flexibility.

Before you start stretching there are a couple of old ideas you need to bury once and for all. Back at school all we were likely to be taught about stretching was some nonsense about touching your toes and 'bouncing' the stretch to reach further. This approach belongs back in the days when people doing exercise wore full length stripy swimming costumes and sported handlebar moustaches. Bouncing a stretch is likely to tear or strain something - precisely the opposite of the purpose here. Forget all that Jane Fonda era 'no pain, no gain' nonsense as well - if it hurts, stop it at once.

Stretch steadily, and stretch often, easing into a stretch only to that delicate point where it's edging on discomfort and absolutely not to the point where it hurts to hold the stretch. You may have heard of ballistic stretching which is highly athletic and active. You may also have heard of base jumping, crocodile wrestling and skeleton luge but it doesn't mean you have to do them. Leave ballistic stretches to others, just focus on nice static work for the moment.

Your muscles should be warm when you stretch (don't confuse stretching and warming up) and you should hold the stretch for thirty seconds with up to a minute tops if you're very comfortable. Although the temptation is to head for the shower as soon as you get off the treadmill/stepper/bike it is precisely at that moment, when you're still hot and bothered, that stretching can do the most good.

The most common stretches are...

Quadriceps - Standing upright, balance on one leg and bend the other so you can catch the foot in your hand. Flex it gently back up to your buttocks. Very slightly bend the knee of the leg you're balancing on and tip the hips forward to feel the stretch down the front of your thigh. Hold for thirty seconds, gently go back to standing and switch legs.

Calves - Stand four or five steps away from and facing a wall. Now keeping your left foot in the original position place your right foot halfway between you and the wall and reach forward with your outstretched arms so you're leaning against the wall with your hands. Your right leg should now be bent and your left leg straight out behind you with the sole of the foot flat on the floor. Feel the stretch up the back of the calf for thirty seconds, gently go back to standing and switch legs.

Triceps - Reach one arm straight up above your head then bend it at the elbow so your hand is now behind your neck. Reach up with the other hand, take the first elbow, and gently pull it down and across in the direction of the pulling arm's shoulder. Hold, release, switch.

Shoulder - Hold your arm out straight in front of you, then move it across your body, placing the other hand on the upper arm between elbow and shoulder. Use that hand to push the arm in towards the chest. Hold, release, switch.

There's a stretch for every part of your body - including a few you're probably not familiar with yet. Take the time to find out about the stretches specific to your sport, and then take the time to do them.