Beginning Stretching

Hey guys! I thought it would be appropriate for my first entry to be about one of the things every athlete in my classes hears me preach about. It is also the first thing athletes do when they walk into the gym. STRETCHING!It makes me cringe to see people sitting on their butts, pulling one arm across their chest, and chatting away for ten minutes. Does this actually prepare you for practice? NO. Does this magically prevent injuries? NO. So why do we do it every day?
The culprit is called static stretching- or holding one stretch in place for a long period of time. Most of us –parents included- grew up on the belief that you have to "stretch" before working out so you don’t pull a muscle. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
So why is static stretching both unnecessary and counter productive? Research proves that pre-exercise static stretching actually has a NEGATIVE effect on subsequent performance. This is because static stretching OVER stretches the muscles. Think of a rubber band. When you stretch it and then release it, it snaps back into position quickly. Think of the same rubber band after it has been stretched again and again and again. It does not snap back into place as quickly, if at all. Our muscles work the same way. If we over stretch them before exercise, they will not contract as quickly. In cheerleading, athletes need their muscles to snap into different positions very fast. Take a toe touch for example. Athletes must snap their legs up and then snap them back together in a matter of seconds. If their legs are over stretched, the snap will not happen as quickly.
But doesn’t static stretching prevent injuries? NO. To prevent injury in our sport, athletes require two important things prior to exercise. The first is for the body to be warm with blood actively flowing to the muscles. The second is adequate range of motion (ROM). ROM is the ability to move joints in a variety of ways- such as the shoulder moving in circles. Both of these factors prevent pulled muscles and improve subsequent performance.
So what should athletes be doing before exercising? DYNAMIC STRETCHES!
Dynamic stretches are fast movements that stretch the muscles to a new ROM. These stretches should be performed repeatedly, starting off with small movements and progressing to larger movements. When performed properly, dynamic stretches elevate the body’s core temperature (warming up), increases ROM, decreases muscle and joint stiffness, activates the nervous system, and prepares motor units (units within the muscles) for quick movement. So what about flexibility? We need our cheerleaders to be flexible right? YES…BUT stretching for flexibility should not take place at the beginning of an exercise session. Stretching for flexibility should be done at the conclusion of a work out. Static stretching is GREAT for increasing flexibility at the end of practice when the body is warm, the muscles are tired, and ROM is increased. Best of all, the body can be as loose as a noodle for the next few hours and it will not have a negative effect on the cheerleader’s day. The flexibility gained at the end of a workout will be enhanced and maintained through the dynamic stretches at the beginning of the next session.
Overall, cheerleaders need to engage in DYNAMIC STRETCHES for warm ups rather than static stretching. We do this in every class that I teach but it is time for our athletes to transfer this over into all of their warm-ups. There will be a list of Dynamic stretches posted in the gym at Cheer Factor for all of our athletes to follow!
Best of luck and happy training,
Heather