Stretching Doesn’t Reduce Injuries

The age-old conviction that stretching before exercise will reduce the chance of injury turns out to be, well, a stretch. The Los Angeles Times reports on a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training that concludes that pre-exercise stretching doesn’t seem to decrease injury and that post-exercise stretching doesn’t seem to reduce soreness.  The study did no new research; it simply analyzed several previous studies, but its finding is the second blow in a one-two punch to the alleged rewards of stretching. The Times reports that it comes on the heels of evidence that stretching can actually impair performance of explosive moves such as sprints and jumps, and that some experts now question the need for regular stretching at all.
Want more? The greater risk of injury may come from stretching itself. The Times quotes experts who worry that people who work toward hyperflexibility, like touching the floor four inches from their toes, could easily end up doing more harm than good.