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Flexibility is one of the keys to good posture. When your front neck muscles

are short and tight, your head angles forward. When your shoulders and chest

are tight, your shoulders round inward. When your lower back, rear thigh,

and hip muscles are tight, the curve of your back becomes exaggerated. A

regular stretching routine also can reduce pain and discomfort, particularly

in your lower back. In fact, the pain often disappears when you begin doing

simple stretches for your lower-back and rear-thigh muscles.

What’s more, flexibility exercises can correct muscle imbalances. Say that

your front-thigh muscles are strong, but your rear thighs are tight and weak.

(This is a common scenario.) As a result, you end up relying on your front

thighs more than you should. Chances are, you won’t even notice this, but it

will throw off your movement in subtle ways — you may have a short walking

stride or bounce too high off the ground. Muscle imbalances can eventually

lead to injuries such as pulled muscles. They also contribute to clumsiness,

which in itself can lead to injury. Finally, if you’re any kind of a jock — even a

bowler or a Saturday-afternoon softball player — stretching may help you

perform better. The ability to move freely in a wide variety of directions

makes you a better athlete.

Before, After, During? Knowing When to Stretch ......................................

Contrary to popular opinion, stretching is not the first thing you should do

when you walk into the gym or arrive at the park for a jog. Don’t stretch your

muscles until you’ve at least warmed up thoroughly (see Chapter 8 for warm-

up basics); we think stretching at the end of your workout, after you’ve finished

your workout but before you shower, is even better. A post-workout stretch is

a great way to relax and ease back into the rest of your day and has been

shown to reduce injuries.

70 Part II: Enjoying Total-Body Health: Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free

Can stretching prevent injury?

A recent study showing no link between

stretching and injury rates has bolstered non-

stretchers’ self-confidence. Don’t be too sur-

prised if, while stretching at your gym, someone

lectures you on how you’re wasting your time.

But before you throw stretching out the window

altogether, consider that what this study

showed was that warming up with stretch-

ing does not reduce injuries. As we clearly

recommend in this chapter, you don’t want to

stretch before you work out, but after. (Although

you want to ease into any workout by doing a

full warm-up — see Chapter 8.) Research actu-

ally shows that, although runners who stretch

before they work out have higher injury rates

compared to runners who don’t stretch at all,

those who stretch afterworkouts have lower

rates of injury.