Static Stretching Lengthens Hamstrings Best

Written by Shoshana Pritzker Thursday, 08 September 2011 20:00

Static Stretching Lengthens Hamstrings Best


Static stretching is better than ballistic stretching (bounce stretching) for increasing hamstring flexibility. Scott Davis and colleagues from West Virginia University compared the effects of a four-week static or ballistic hamstring stretching training program on hamstring muscle length. Static stretching increased flexibility three times more than ballistic stretching. However, both training methods increased flexibility more than a control group that did no stretching.

Try to attain normal flexibility in joints throughout the body. Stretching programs are particularly important for older adults and people involved in high-power sports involving rapid changes in direction (e.g., football, volleyball), workers involved in brief bouts of intense exercise (e.g., police officers, fire fighters), or people who sit for prolonged periods (e.g., office workers, students). Stretching before high-intensity activities (e.g., sprinting, jumping) may increase the risk of injury by interfering with neuromuscular control and decreasing the natural ability of muscle to stretch and contract. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, in press; published online April 1, 2010)