Stretching Scientifically

What Hacker News says

1. nsguyJun 2024
   There is a wealth of science on stretching.

   https://www.bradapp.com/docs/rec/stretching/ is (I think) an evolution of the "old" rec.stretching FAQ which was pretty good way back.

   https://www.amazon.ca/Stretching-Scientifically-Guide-Flexib...

   These are relatively old resources but worth reading and then updating.

   At the risk of being harsh to the author, everything he knew about stretching was wrong ;)

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2. divApr 2016
   Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz is pretty much the bible on this topic.

   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stretching-Scientifically-Guide-Flex...

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3. YZFJan 2020
   Tom Kurz talks about this (the relationship between stretching and strength) in "Stretching Scientifically". Generally you weaken the muscle when you stretch it so its important to combine stretching with strength training. Static stretching is pretty mild though.

   also re: Yoga ... there's lots of Yoga practices that combine strength with flexibility... Yoga tends to pop up as something that has been proven to be beneficial for back pain while pretty much everything else is as good as placebo (including surgical intervention).

   People that sit all day tend to have shorter hamstrings (because the muscle is contracted all day) so I think stretching is important. An imbalance in leg muscles can tilt your pelvis and propagate up to your back...

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4. YZFApr 2013
   This is old news. E.g. "Stretching Scientifically" by Tom Kurz published IIRC some time in the 1980's discusses this in detail. Static stretching ahead of an activity is counter-productive and increases risk of injury. What you need to do before an activity is warm-up != stretching and that warm up should be customized to your activity. Stretching after the activity is a better idea though you also need to pick the right stretches, combine with strength training, and it all depends on your flexibility and sport.

   Another thought, as someone who sits all day (really need a standing desk!) and practices Karate and a little Yoga I definitely recommend that people who sit all day do some sort of stretching and other activities to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting...

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