Researchers debunked a myth about how important we think stretching before jogging is. Millions of joggers around the world stretch before going for a jog. It is a daily ritual in parks and streets everywhere. Researchers from La Trobe University in Australia say there is no evidence to show stretching improves running performance or decreases the risk of injuries. The research is in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and hip joints flexible, but it won't help performance or keep injuries at bay.
Researcher James Alexander conducted the research after talking about stretching with joggers. He is an avid jogger and often wondered about the benefits of stretching. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have...beliefs around running injury risks... and performance that are in contrast to current research evidence." He said these beliefs make runners follow "ineffective or non-optimal strategies" when training to prevent injuries or increase performance. He suggested a 5-10-minute session of walking or light jogging as the best warm-up.