Are you stretching the right way?

When Michelle MacLean, 38, started running outdoors nine years ago, she experienced hip pain after her runs, along with tight hamstrings and discomfort on the outside of her thighs. “I used to go for massages quite a bit to relieve the pain caused by those issues and as a preventive measure so they wouldn't get worse,” says Michelle. “But then I started doing Iyengar yoga, which focuses on precise body alignment and stretches, about four years ago, and it has made a huge difference. It helped increase my strength, flexibility and endurance, and through a regular practice my issues tended to self-correct, therefore reducing my chances of getting injured.”

Michelle, a senior communications adviser with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia in Halifax, who has completed one full marathon and seven half-marathons, also tries to stretch after running, when her muscles are warm; she believes stretching helps protect her muscles and joints from the constant pounding of feet on pavement and reduces muscle soreness, which improves performance. “I never stretch before running because I hear you shouldn't stretch when your muscles are cold,” she says.

While she is sometimes slack about stretching after running, Michelle does have a yoga routine for runners that she does after running when she's feeling extra tight.

When to stretch and why
Though most fitness experts agree that stretching is important, research is not clear about the ways in which stretching helps, says Norman Tinkham, a physiotherapist at Golden Ears Physiotherapy Clinic in Maple Ridge, B.C.

What they do agree on is that one of the greatest benefits of stretching seems to be that it helps increase the length of muscles and tendons, leading to improved flexibility and range of movement -- which means limbs and joints can move farther before an injury occurs.

Stretching also ensures that muscles and tendons are working efficiently; the more conditioned they are, the better they can handle the pounding they'll take from certain types of exercises and sports.

Personalize your regimen
Because the research is not conclusive about all aspects of stretching, many people -- even the experts -- tend to take a personal approach to their stretching routine based on their particular sport and their body's strengths and weaknesses.

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