[Newsletter] The urban legend of stretching before exercise is wrong
✔ Here’s what you should do instead
My weekly three best insights from me, Medium and the web to help you live longer better.
From me …
1. Stretching before exercise is a mistake, here’s why and what to do
Most gym classes I have experienced or observed start with stretching.
Research has established that compared to warming up with mobility movements, stretching leads to more injuries.
Look at it this way — during the penultimate ride of this year’s Tour of Spain “La Vuelta” the athletes warmed up for about 45 minutes. This is before a 208km race over 10 mountain climbs!
After racing those agonising 208km, the riders warmed down for 10 minutes by cycling at about 2X the average power of a spin class, followed by stretching, an ice bath and massage.
⇒ This protocol allows them to ride intensely day after day without injury.
What this means for you: A 2018 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that stretching before exercise did not reduce the risk of injury and may increase the risk of muscle strains.
On the other hand, warming up with mobility exercises:
- Increases blood flow and muscle temperature: Raising muscle temperature makes the muscles more pliable and less prone to injury.
- Activates the nervous system: improving muscle coordination and power output.
- Prepares your body: gradually increasing heart, breathing, and metabolic rates.
Warming down improves recovery by removing metabolic waste from the muscles and helps minimise muscle soreness.
Stretching after warming down helps further by helping release muscle tension and thus increasing circulation. This adds to the benefits of warming down.
Follow with some static stretches, such as holding a hamstring or quadriceps stretch. You may also want to do some foam rolling or other self-massage techniques.
⇒ By warming up and then warming down plus stretching, you reduce your risk of injuries and improve your recovery with less pain.
See my full newsletter: 4MV #212 How I learnt to run injury free ✔ You can too
From Medium…
2. AI robots are coming to look after the elderly
Sooner than you think, says Dr Ron Strand in Social Robots Aiding Elderly.
In fact, they are already in widespread use in Japan. Studies show that social robots can help control symptoms in elderly patients with dementia, improving overall well-being.
Social robots are designed to interact with humans in a social and emotional way, and they are capable of perceiving, interpreting, and responding to human emotions — says Dr Strand.
They can support the elderly and those with dementia to maintain independence by assisting with basic activities and mobility.
They can remind individuals to take medication and help them move around safely.
Additionally, social robots can help alleviate loneliness and stress by providing companionship. Interacting with these robots can reduce feelings of loneliness and improve overall well-being.
In institutionalised settings, social robots effectively provide cognitive stimulation, engage individuals in activities, and offer comfort, ultimately contributing to a higher quality of life for those affected.
The article: Social Robots Aiding Elderly.
From the web (Harvard Health)…
3. How Activity Protects Your Knees
It is a common misconception that activities like running or squatting can be detrimental to the knees. However, numerous studies have actually found no correlation between running, jogging, or walking and the development or progression of knee osteoarthritis.
In fact, these studies have reached a different conclusion altogether.
According to their findings, regular exercise is beneficial for maintaining healthy knee cartilage and boosting muscle strength, which in turn provides crucial support for the joints. Additionally, physical activity helps to preserve joint flexibility, alleviate knee stiffness, and ultimately enhance one’s overall quality of life.
⇒ Knee cartilage requires regular “loading” or force placed on it to stay healthy.
What this means for you: If you fear sore knees or you have mild knee pain that is holding you back from running or jogging, for example, then the solution lies in building strength through your posterior chain. This chain is the muscles, tendons and joints from your lower back to your toes.
Talk to your physio or doctor. Check that you can safely do the following:
- Perform strength training exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knees, e.g. squats, lunges, leg presses, and leg extensions.
- Try using kettlebells because kettlebell swings strengthen your posterior chain using a hinge movement rather than a squat movement.
- Modify your movements: If certain activities cause knee pain, modify them to ease joint pressure. For example, use Nordic walking poles while walking or replace jumping jacks with toe taps during aerobics.
- Pay attention to proper form: In particular, maintain proper hip, knee, and ankle alignment. You do this by pointing your knee towards your big or 2nd toe, not pushing your knees out sideways and finding where your knees feel most comfortable and strong.
Keeping your knees active and your lower body strong is key to maintaining mobility and a better quality of life as you age.
The article: Do these activities hurt your knees? [Harvard Health]
Related: Avoid Ankle Injuries And Gain Balance Better With These Four Everyday Simple Exercises
Questions, just HIT REPLY, love to hear from you.
Wishing you a safe and active week,
Walter ⭑Keep Moving⭑ Adamson ⭑Top Food Writer⭑
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