Stretching is one of the most enjoyable, yet controversial, aspects of fitness. I personally love to stretch after a hard run or strength training session, and that innate urge is reecognized by most fitness experts as correct: strech when the muscles are warm and the body is heated.
There are runners and lifters who never stretch and consider it a waste of time. I always feel that stretching shouldn't cut into your workout session, but is a great enhancement at the end.
A study just published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported that stretching can greatly enhance your strength as well! Using groups of volunteers who followed an eight-week strength training program (three days per week), half of the group also added two 10-minute stretching routines at the end of their sessions. After eight weeks, the flexible group nearly tripled their muscle strength, considerably more than the non-stretchers.
The rationale: Stretching, like weight-lifting, creates tiny tears in your muscles; as your body recovers and rebuilds, the tissue becomes stronger!
Try to incorporate full body stretches after every workout, with extra emphasis on the body parts most affected by that day's run or lifting session. It feels good, and you'll get stronger, too!
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