Fitness Fitness Basics

Learning to Stretch the Right Way

Summary & Participants

Knowing the right way to stretch can keep you safe and flexible.

Medically Reviewed On: August 08, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: You may know that stretching is an important part of any workout. But do you know the right way to do it? Take a look at these two stretches. Fitness expert Jonathan Cane explains why A is more likely to hurt rather than help.

JONATHAN CANE, EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST: First of all, any time you're bouncing, there's an inherent danger there. You're increasing your chance of pulling your muscle. The other issue is, by bending forward at the waist or the fancy technical term being unsupported forward flexion, you're putting your lower back at risk.

ANNOUNCER: Here’s why this is a safer way to stretch your leg.

JONATHAN CANE, EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST: By bending the knee and placing both hands on the bent knee, you support the lower back and take any pressure off of it, eliminating the risk of injury. Then you straighten the other leg and sit back into the stretch to safely stretch the hamstring.

ANNOUNCER: Before any stretch, cane says it’s important to do a quick warm-up.

JONATHAN CANE, EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST: Your muscles are like any other material. They're more pliable when they're warm. So if you stretch a cold muscle, even if you stretch it properly, there's a greater risk of injury than if you give it a little bit of a warm-up first.

ANNOUNCER: To make your stretch count, you need to hold it for 20 to 30 seconds. But avoid pain if you want some gain.

JONATHAN CANE, EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST: Stretching to the point of pain activates a defense mechanism in your muscles fibers and actually becomes counterproductive. So you think you're stretching farther, but your muscles are actually going to end up shorter than they started. Stretch to the point of a gentle stretching sensation but not to the point of pain, don't bounce your stretches and hold your stretches for twenty to thirty seconds.

ANNOUNCER: Stretching the right way can keep you safe and flexible. Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.