Prevention is easier (and more sensible) than cure!
Sport-specific stretching is beneficial because it improves coordination, balance, strength, and response time, and may reduce the risk of injury. Such stretching can include exercises that are “watered-down” versions of the movements that you will be performing during your athletic activity (i.e., simulated movements performed at a reduced intensity).
According to a group of researchers at Brigham Young University inHawaii and Louisiana State University, a regular stretching program can enhance performance in events that require strength and power.
For their study, 48 subjects were divided into an exercise group and a non exercise group. The exercisers performed a 10-week, 40-minute, three-day-a-week static stretching routine for the lower body, and saw improvements in all eight categories tested: sit and reach, 20-meter dash, standing broad jump, vertical broad jump, hamstring curl, knee extension, and two tests of muscle endurance.
Editor’s note: This information is sponsored by Precor.
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