Ten myths and facts about stretching

Author: Hannah Bröcker, physiotherapist (M.Sc.), physical therapist, sports physiotherapist, Medbase Sports Medical Center Zurich     If you stretch before you run to protect yourself from injury, you're barking up the wrong tree. What stretches are really for and how to go about them. Stretching prevents injuries. False. For a long time, the motto before running was "stretch, stretch, stretch". However, the fact that it prevents injuries has been disproved by many studies. Warming up, on the other hand, minimizes the risk of injury. It is enough to take things slowly - in the truest sense of the word - such as walking briskly before jogging. Regular strength training is also more effective in this respect, and this is one of the reasons why runners should not neglect it. Stretching improves mobility. True. How mobile a person is depends, among other things, …