Friday, December 11, 2009 3:32 pm
Face Off - Stretching Science
The debate on how to stretch warms up.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any trainer or physical therapist who does not recommend stretching as part of a healthy exercise regimen—of that there is little doubt.
What still elicits sharp disagreement, even among top experts, is when you should stretch, how you should elongate your muscles (there are differing styles and philosophies), and whether doing so can help you recover after working out or participating in sports.
Trying to find consensus on those three issues can be, well, a bit of a stretch. We brought in two renowned experts to test the rigidity or limberness of their respective arguments. When they’re done, you can decide which way you’ll lean… into your stretch, that is.
Our featured experts are Aaron Mattes, the founder of Aaron Mattes Therapy in Sarasota, Fla. and a licensed massage therapist, and Pierre Barrieu, a strength and fitness coach of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and a certified strength and conditioning specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
The main question is: Should you warm up before stretching? Mattes says no and points to his four decades of experience as proof, while Barrieu insists that it is crucial aspect of stretching.
With whom do you agree? Read the full debate in the January/February 2010 issue of SOBeFiT Magazine.