I'm a big fan of Matt Fitzgerald and his writings - mostly because I think he knows what he's talking about, and he keeps it pretty simple for newbies like me.
When I first started out getting fit I never really knew, with any certainty, when to stretch, how to stretch or what kind of stretching to do. I always figured; stretch before workouts - static stretching style - calves, hams, quads - good. That's what I'd seen most people doing and since I was a kid it's what was taught.
But, back in June, I came across some articles written by Matt:
Running 101: Stretching
Sports Science Update: Static Stretching Before Running
Want To Improve Your Economy? Stop Stretching
Dynamic Flexibility Exercises for Runners
So, my takeaway is; I should be doing dynamic stretching before my runs and doing static stretching whenever I can, just not before a run. So, that's what I try to do, but honestly, I'm not very diligent about doing any stretching before my runs. I think a lot of times, it comes down to what feels best, and what works best, for each individual - despite what studies might say. For me, I'm going to try to use this post as motivation to start doing more dynamic stretching before my runs, and we'll see how that translates.
In endurance running it's all about running economy, and static stretching before a run does not reduce injury and it negatively impacts performance.
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