The benefits of stretching, even if you don’t exercise afterwards: better circulation, more flexibility
Recent studies show that slow, or ‘static’ stretching – whether tied to exercise or not – has a number of benefits, especially for older people
Myles Schneider, 74, stretches for an hour, six times a week. The semi-retired podiatrist who lives in Reston, in the US state of Virginia, also walks briskly for 45 minutes twice weekly and runs three times a week for 45 minutes in the deep end of a pool. He spends more time stretching than he does doing actual exercise.
An hour of slow stretching may seem excessive, but it works for Schneider.
When he was into distance running in his 20s, he stretched for about 10 minutes before and after his runs. But he always felt rushed. Since reaching his mid-50s, however, he’s been stretching in the late afternoon or early evening. “After a few minutes, I feel more energised and no longer tired,” he says. “I also really notice myself relaxing mentally, especially if I’m stressed out about something. I’m certainly more flexible than I was 20 years ago.”
Exercise dogma long has extolled the value of stretching, usually as a warm-up before exercise or a cool-down afterwards. By not limiting stretching to his workouts, Schneider skirts the debate over whether slow stretching – known as “static” stretching – helps or hinders sports performance.
From the 1960s to the late 1990s, fitness professionals firmly believed that static stretching was a useful adjunct before exercise, warming up the muscles and, in doing so, preventing injury.