Stretching and Flexibility
Flexibility increases athletic performance and decreases the risk of injury. Formerly, most athletes statically stretched before training or competition. It is now believed that this time-honored practice may do more harm than good. If you want to perform static stretching it should be done after a workout or at least 2 hours before training or competition. It is best to perform dynamic stretching in preparation for activity.
Stretching References
- An excellent source for dynamic stretching information is Mark Kovacs book, Dynamic Stretching: The Revolutionary New Warm-up Method to Improve Power, Performance and Range of Motion
- My favorite book on static stretching is Bob Anderson's Stretching. It is a great non-technical guide to stretching.
- I also like Facilitated Stretching by Robert E. McAtee. It is an excellent reference on PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching.
- Stretching and Flexibility, Everything You Never Wanted To Know (PDF file), by Brad Appleton, is a great technical reference on stretching.
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Get Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for PDF files.Yoga
Yoga is a good way to increase flexibility, balance, and general body awareness. Here are some links for more yoga info: