"Right now, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater," she warns. "We know too much anecdotally of athletes who didn't stretch. The jury is still out--I tend to lean more to the 'do it.' I don't think it will hurt."
June Schneider, a sports massage therapist in Millersville, Md., agrees. Four times a week before a run, she does 30 to 40 minutes of yoga and stretches five to 10 minutes after her run. She also stretches after strength training.
"If you run and get enough injuries, you develop something that works," she says. "Stretching does that for me."
Besides, can so many years of anecdotal evidence in support of stretching really be wrong?
"People will be resistant to accepting the science because the implication is that they have been giving out incorrect information for years," Shrier says. "Of course, it is better to be wrong for five years instead of 15 years, but that is a rational argument, and changing behavior is an emotional problem."
Resources
* For the full text of the stretching article by Dr. Ian Shrier and Dr. Kav Gossal, go to the Physician and Sports-
medicine site at http://
www.physsportsmed.com.
* For other information in support of stretching, with specific how-tos, try the National Federation of Professional Trainers at http://www.nfpt.com. Go to the site's library and search for "stretching." Also try the 24 Hour Fitness site at http://www.24hourfitness.com.
Doing It Right
If you like to stretch for whatever reason, here's advice that fitness authorities pretty much agree on:
* Stretch after a warmup or a hot shower.
* Stretching should feel good. If it hurts, you've gone too far.
* Don't bounce. Bouncing, or ballistic stretching, is now considered a Dark Age technique.
* Hold that stretch. Recommendations vary from between 10 to 30 seconds.
* Pay attention to technique. An improper stretch can do more harm than good.
* Never stretch an injured muscle without professional guidance.
