Good stretch or bad stretch?

Brad Walker explains how to determine if a stretch is suitable for you or not.

There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch! Just as there are no good or bad exercises, there are no good or bad stretches; only what is appropriate for the specific requirements of the individual. So, a stretch that is perfectly okay for me may not be okay for you or someone else.

Let me give you an example. You would not ask someone with a shoulder injury to do push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that does not mean that these are bad exercises. Now, consider the same scenario from a stretching point of view. You would not ask that same person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that does not mean that all shoulder stretches are bad.

You see, the stretch itself is not good or bad, it is the way it is performed and who it is performed on, that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful. To place a particular stretch into a category of "Good" or "Bad" is foolish and dangerous. To label a stretch as "Good" gives people the impression that they can do that stretch whenever and however they want, and it will not cause them any problems.

The specific requirements of the individual are important!

Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. Like a motor vehicle, it is what you do with it that makes it good or bad. However, when choosing a stretch, there are several precautions and "checks" you need to perform before giving that stretch the okay.

Make a general review of the individual. Are they healthy and physically active, or have they been leading a sedentary lifestyle for the past 5 years? Are they professional athletes? Are they recovering from a serious injury? Do they have aches, pains, or muscle and joint stiffness in any area of their body?
Make a specific review of the area or muscle group to be stretched. Are the muscles healthy? Is there any damage to the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc.? Has the area been injured recently, or is it still recovering from an injury?

If the muscle group being stretched is not 100% healthy, avoid stretching this area altogether. Work on recovery and rehabilitation before moving on to specific stretching exercises. If the individual is healthy and the area to be stretched is free from injury, then apply the following to all stretches.

Warm-up before stretching

Warming up before stretching does several beneficial things, but primarily its purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body's core temperature while also increasing the body's muscle temperature. By increasing muscle temperature, you are helping to make the muscles supple and pliable. This is essential to ensure the maximum benefit is gained from your stretching.

Stretch gently and slowly. (Avoid bouncing).

Stretching slowly and gently helps to relax your muscles, which in turn makes stretching more pleasurable and beneficial. This will also help to avoid muscle tears and strains that can be caused by rapid, jerky movements.
Stretch ONLY to the point of tension. Stretching is NOT an activity that was meant to be painful; it should be pleasurable, relaxing, and very beneficial. However, many people believe that to get the most from their stretching, they need to be in constant pain. This is one of the greatest mistakes you can make when stretching.
Breathe slowly and easily while stretching. Many people unconsciously hold their breath while stretching. This causes tension in your muscles, which in turn makes it very difficult to stretch. To avoid this, remember to breathe slowly and deeply during your stretching. This helps to relax your muscles, promotes blood flow, and increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.

An example

Let us take a look at one of the most controversial stretches ever performed and see how the above would be applied.

Touching Toes The stretch in figure 1 causes many a person to go into a complete melt-down. It has a reputation as a dangerous, bad stretch and should be avoided at all costs. Even just thinking about this stretch may cause injury.

So why is it that at every Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships you see sprinters doing this stretch before their events? Let us apply the above checks to find out.

Firstly, consider the person performing the stretch. Are they healthy, fit, and physically active? If not, this is not a stretch they should be doing. Are they elderly, overweight, and unfit? Are they young and still growing? Do they lead a sedentary lifestyle? If so, they should avoid this stretch!

This first consideration alone would prohibit 75% of the population from doing this stretch. Secondly, review the area to be stretched. This stretch puts a large strain on the muscles of the hamstrings and lower back. So, if your hamstrings or lower back are not 100% healthy, do not do this stretch.

This second consideration would rule out another 20%, which means this stretch is only suitable for about 5% of the population. Or, the well-trained, physically fit, professional athlete. Then apply the four precautions above and the well-trained, physically fit, a professional athlete can perform this stretch safely and effectively. Remember, the stretch itself is not good or bad. It is the way it is performed and who it is performed on, that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful.

Article Reference

This article first appeared in:

WALKER, B. (2006) Good stretch or bad stretch. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 35/ September), p. 1-2

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

WALKER, B. (2006) Good stretch or bad stretch [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni35a1.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Brad Walker is a prominent Australian sports trainer with more than 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. Brad is a Health Science graduate of the University of New England and has postgraduate accreditations in athletics, swimming, and triathlon coaching. He also works with elite level and world champion athletes and lectures for Sports Medicine Australia on injury prevention.


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Brad Walker explains how to determine if a stretch is suitable for you or not. There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch! Just as there are no good or bad exercises, there are no good or bad stretches; only what is appropriate for the specific requirements of the individual. So, a stretch that is perfectly okay for me may not be okay for you or someone else. Let me give you an example. You would not ask someone with a shoulder injury to do push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that does not mean that these are bad exercises. Now, consider the same scenario from a stretching point of view. You would not ask that same person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that does not mean that all shoulder stretches are bad. You see, the stretch itself is not good or bad, it is the way it is performed and who it is performed on, that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful. To place a particular stretch into a category of "Good" or "Bad" is foolish and dangerous. To label a stretch as "Good" gives people the impression that they can do that stretch whenever and however they want, and it will not cause them any problems. The specific requirements of the individual are important! Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. Like a motor vehicle, it is what you do with it that makes it good or bad. However, when choosing a stretch, there are several precautions and "checks" you need to perform before giving that stretch the okay. Make a general review of the individual. Are they healthy and physically active, or have they been leading a sedentary lifestyle for the past 5 years? Are they professional athletes? Are they recovering from a serious injury? Do they have aches, pains, or muscle and joint stiffness in any area of their body? Make a specific review of the area or muscle group to be stretched. Are the muscles healthy? Is there any damage to the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc.? Has the area been injured recently, or is it still recovering from an injury? If the muscle group being stretched is not 100% healthy, avoid stretching this area altogether. Work on recovery and rehabilitation before moving on to specific stretching exercises. If the individual is healthy and the area to be stretched is free from injury, then apply the following to all stretches. Warm-up before stretching Warming up before stretching does several beneficial things, but primarily its purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body's core temperature while also increasing the body's muscle temperature. By increasing muscle temperature, you are helping to make the muscles supple and pliable. This is essential to ensure the maximum benefit is gained from your stretching. Stretch gently and slowly. (Avoid bouncing). Stretching slowly and gently helps to relax your muscles, which in turn makes stretching more pleasurable and beneficial. This will also help to avoid muscle tears and strains that can be caused by rapid, jerky movements. Stretch ONLY to the point of tension. Stretching is NOT an activity that was meant to be painful; it should be pleasurable, relaxing, and very beneficial. However, many people believe that to get the most from their stretching, they need to be in constant pain. This is one of the greatest mistakes you can make when stretching. Breathe slowly and easily while stretching. Many people unconsciously hold their breath while stretching. This causes tension in your muscles, which in turn makes it very difficult to stretch. To avoid this, remember to breathe slowly and deeply during your stretching. This helps to relax your muscles, promotes blood flow, and increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. An example Let us take a look at one of the most controversial stretches ever performed and see how the above would be applied. The stretch in figure 1 causes many a person to go into a complete melt-down. It has a reputation as a dangerous, bad stretch and should be avoided at all costs. Even just thinking about this stretch may cause injury. So why is it that at every Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships you see sprinters doing this stretch before their events? Let us apply the above checks to find out. Firstly, consider the person performing the stretch. Are they healthy, fit, and physically active? If not, this is not a stretch they should be doing. Are they elderly, overweight, and unfit? Are they young and still growing? Do they lead a sedentary lifestyle? If so, they should avoid this stretch! This first consideration alone would prohibit 75% of the population from doing this stretch. Secondly, review the area to be stretched. This stretch puts a large strain on the muscles of the hamstrings and lower back. So, if your hamstrings or lower back are not 100% healthy, do not do this stretch. This second consideration would rule out another 20%, which means this stretch is only suitable for about 5% of the population. Or, the well-trained, physically fit, professional athlete. Then apply the four precautions above and the well-trained, physically fit, a professional athlete can perform this stretch safely and effectively. Remember, the stretch itself is not good or bad. It is the way it is performed and who it is performed on, that makes it effective and safe, or ineffective and harmful. Article Reference This article first appeared in: WALKER, B. (2006) Good stretch or bad stretch. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 35/ September), p. 1-2 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: WALKER, B. (2006) Good stretch or bad stretch [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni35a1.htm [Accessed About the Author Brad Walker is a prominent Australian sports trainer with more than 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. Brad is a Health Science graduate of the University of New England and has postgraduate accreditations in athletics, swimming, and triathlon coaching. He also works with elite level and world champion athletes and lectures for Sports Medicine Australia on injury prevention.