Before you begin physical activity of any sort—especially if it involves running—you should never just jump right into it. Switching from a seated or low-intensity state to something more active is a transition that needs to be eased into, not done abruptly, and it’s important to prepare the body for this change in order to prevent injury.

Most experts agree that stretching is a necessary part of fitness. While there is conflicting evidence on the exact role that stretching plays in preventing injury, the general consensus is that it helps by improving physical performance, reducing soreness after exercise and lowering the likelihood of injury to some extent.

This is mainly due to the fact that stretching increases flexibility, as well as the range of motion of your joints. When this happens, it helps the muscles to work as effectively as possible, and increases performance during athletic activities. In addition, stretching increases blood flow to the area being stretched, which helps prepare the body for the task that’s about to be performed.

CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services believes that appropriate stretching can play a crucial part in preventing injuries for you during athletic performances and would like to offer the following stretches that are useful for this purpose. Try to perform three sets of each stretch, holding it for at least 30 seconds, and remember to breathe while executing the stretch and avoid any bouncing up and down.

The six most effective stretches for preventing injury

• 1) Sit-and-reach stretch: Sit with leg(s) out straight, lean body forward and grab toes to stretch out hamstrings; can be done with one or both legs
• 2) Walking lunges: Take one giant step forward while keeping the back leg straight, alternating for 20 steps, to stretch calves, hamstrings and knees
• 3) The flamingo: Standing, bend one leg behind you and grab your foot upwards like a flamingo to stretch out the quadriceps muscles in the thigh
• 4) Pec/chest stretch: Standing facing a doorway or a corner of a room, put your forearms against the walls with your elbows at shoulder height and lean forward to feel stretch in chest muscles with three repetitions
• 5) Leg pendulum: Standing, swing one leg back and forth in front of you like a pendulum 10 times for each leg, which is good for the hips
• 6) Heel drops: Stand on your toes on a curb or stairs, drop your heels slowly towards the ground, and repeat 10 times to stretch the heel

Never stretch while you’re in pain and position yourself so you feel a moderate to strong stretch each time. Keeping the muscles loose will help prepare them for any physical activity you’re about to perform and can help prevent injury. For more information or additional stretches, CAM Physical Therapists in Bowie, Glenn Dale, Hyattsville, Laurel or Parkville, MD—where we have four convenient locations—can help. Call us at 301-853-0093 for more information or to schedule an appointment.