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Practical information resource – should static stretching be included in warm­ups?
www.learningabouthal.co.uk 05/10/11
Should STATIC STRETCHING be
included in warm-ups?
guidance for those working with
children and young people
CURRENT RESEARCH FINDINGS
The debate as to whether to employ static stretching as part of a
pre-exercise warm-up remains unresolved
(Small, McNaughton & Matthews 2008)
It is clearly a mistake to take findings of one research study and create an
absolute fact. We need to look at a whole body of research about a topic before
making decisions about changes in practice.
What is the ‘great debate’ about static stretching? – Should we include static
stretching in warm-ups? Is static stretching harmful? Is static stretching a waste
of time? Should we be doing dynamic stretches instead of static stretches in
warm-ups?
What is the purpose of stretching in a warm-up?
It is a method of increasing range of motion about joints (flexibility) which in turn
is thought to increase performance and decrease risk of injury during exercise.
What is static stretching? – the process of elongating a muscle and then
holding it in a stationary position eg performing short held stretches for specific
muscle groups
What is dynamic stretching? – the process of elongating a muscle using
momentum and active muscular effort, beginning with natural range, slow
movements which gradually increase in range or speed, or both eg performing
mobility exercises in a warm-up
Do static stretches prevent injury?
There is a bewildering number of conflicting messages about this. The following
quotes are taken from a range of research studies.
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Practical information resource – should static stretching be included in warm­ups?
www.learningabouthal.co.uk 05/10/11
Static stretching as part of a warm-up:
� appears to be neither helpful nor harmful (Thacker et al 2004)
� has been shown to be a neutral factor in injury prevention, neither increasing
nor decreasing the risk (Thacker et al 2004)
� stretching before exercising does not seem to confer a practically useful
reduction in the risk of injury (Herbert & Gabriel 2002)
� may have a positive effect on preventing musculotendinous injuries (Small,
McNaughton & Matthews 2008)
� can decrease high-force muscular performance (Knudson 2003)
What initiated the recent ‘great debate’ about static warm-up stretches?
In August 2002 the UK national press broadcast the message that static warm-up
stretches were ineffective and a ‘waste of time’. This message was the media’s
interpretations of the conclusions from a systematic review of research published
by the British Medical Journal focusing on the effects of static stretching on risk
of injury and muscle soreness before and after exercise (Herbert, R. & Gabriel,
M. BMJ 2002; 325:468-470). Only 5 studies from worldwide research had
sufficient data for inclusion in this review.
These 5 studies evaluated stretching before and after exercise in terms of
delayed onset muscle soreness. While these studies imply that stretching does
not significantly reduce soreness in the 72 hours after exercise, they:
�
were ‘moderate’ in quality
�
included different total stretch times
�
did show that stretching produces small reductions in muscle soreness
Two of the 5 studies included in the review evaluated stretching before exercise
in terms of risk of injury. While these studies strongly suggest that stretching
before exercise does not produce meaningful reductions in injury, they:
�
were inconclusive (by their own admission)
�
used random samples of healthy young army recruits
�
used different definitions of ‘injury’
�
demonstrated no significant differences between stretch group and nonstretching control group
�
did not rule out the possibility that a worthwhile effect of stretching did not
exist for other populations eg. recreational athletes, older people,
professional tennis players
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Practical information resource – should static stretching be included in warm­ups?
www.learningabouthal.co.uk 05/10/11
The authors of this review concluded that:
It would be particularly interesting to determine if more prolonged stretching
carried out by recreational athletes over many months or years can produce
meaningful reductions in risk of injury.
and that:
insufficient research has been done with which to determine the effects of
stretching on sporting performance (Herbert, R. & Gabriel, M. British Medical
Journal (2002);325:468-470).
A more recent systematic review in 2008 indicates the following about the
use of static stretching in warm-ups:
� moderate-to-strong evidence that it will not reduce overall injury rates
� preliminary evidence to suggest that it may have a positive effect on
preventing musculotendinous injuries. (Small, McNaughton & Matthews
2008)
There are not enough quality studies to draw conclusions about
the value of static warm-up stretches in reducing the risk of
exercise-related injury
(Small, McNaughton & Matthews 2008)
Current practice in Schools
In warm-ups both dynamic and static stretches are promoted as ways of
preparing the joints and muscles for participation in sport and physical activity.
Common practice is for dynamic stretches to be included as MOBILITY or
WHOLE BODY/PULSE RAISING activities and involve sports/activity-related
movements performed with control and with increasing range and speed. One or
two static stretches for relevant muscle groups are performed towards the end of
a warm-up and these are held for 6-10 seconds.
The educational benefits of performing stretches statically are that children learn
to:
� perform stretches with correct technique (ie alignment of joints and muscle
fibres)
� locate and name the muscles being stretched before progressing to
understanding dynamic stretching.
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Practical information resource – should static stretching be included in warm­ups?
www.learningabouthal.co.uk 05/10/11
With current research being inconclusive about the value of static stretching in
warm-ups, this educational practice seems well-founded and also provides
appropriate progression of learning.
Recommendations to schools
In discussion with informed colleagues/experts, it is considered that there is
insufficient, robust evidence to change current recommendations/guidelines
about the inclusion of static stretching in the warm-up. On the contrary, there is
no evidence that static stretching in the warm-up is detrimental in any way. It is
important that children and young people are taught the value of stretching and
how to do this with good technique. School PE is critical in this respect as it
reaches virtually all children.
Dr Jo Harris (Loughborough University)
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
Herbert RD, Gabriel M. Effects of stretching before or after exercise on muscle
soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. British Medical Journal (2002)
325:468-470.
Kenneally D. (Chief UK Athletics Physiotherapist) ‘Let’s not throw the baby out
with the bath water!!’ www.ukathletics.net
Article no longer on website
Knudson D. Stretching in the warm-up: do we have enough evidence? Journal of
Physical Education Recreation and Dance (1999); 70:24-27, 51.
NHS Cente for reviews and Dissemination (2003) Stretching before and after
exercise. A report prepared for the National Electronic Library for Health. NHS
Information Authority.
Thacker SB, Gilchrist G, Stroup F, KimseyJr, CD.The impact of stretching on
sports injury risk: a systematic review of the literature. Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise (2004); 36:371-78.
Weldon SM, and Hill RH. The efficacy of stretching for prevention of exerciserelated injury: a systematic review of literature. Manual Therapy (2003); 8:141150.
Small K, McNaughton L, & Matthews M. A systematic review into the efficacy of
static stretching as part of a warm-up for the prevention of exercise –related
injuries, research in Research in Sports Medicine (2008);16:213-231.
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