By jams on Wednesday, April 18, 2001 - 08:24 pm: Edit

Does anyone know what the current thoughts are on stretching to increase flexibility? Over the last couple of years I've seen conflicting articles on whether or not to have students stretching pre-activity (following a short aerobic warm-up), and/or post-activity...during the cool down, or only during the post-activity. What are you doing at your school with your students?Thanks for the information!

By Anna Other on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 - 12:17 am: Edit

From personal experience I know that if I don't stretch for at least 20 secs after exercise I am stiff the next day. As an adolescent I barely remember doing stretches, let alone needing them. that difference is when I was younger, I never put two and two together. If I ran good race because I had limbered up well then I'd had a good day. If I ran poorly because my muscles were still tight or I had less flexibility than a competitor, I had a bad day. As PE specialist I believe we should be showing students how to develop positive patterns of behaviour for sport and exercise. Even if the students don't always do the stretches as effectively as we might like we are at least teaching them that warming-up and limbering up before exercise and cooling down and stretching out after exercise go together lkie study and good grades!

By Isobel Kleinman on Thursday, January 03, 2002 - 10:19 pm: Edit

My physical therapist (I was recuperating from major knee surgery) had me stretch after I warmed up, which meant my doing 5 minutes of something aerobic first.

I like to use metaphors when I teach, so I liken the need to stretch a warm muscle to what happens when you try to stretch chewed bubble gum. When it is cold, it breaks. When it is warm, it stretches. This may help students visualize the need for warming up first and remember it as well.

Personally, I find stretching more valuable at the conclusion of a work-out, but then I am no kid and can recognize the need to stretch specific muscle groups - after I warmed up- when I am feeling tight.

By Megan Stevens on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 - 08:04 am: Edit

I feel if children stretch a few minutes after the lesson they will benefit from it in the long run. I love the feeling after I have stretched. I feel more relaxed and the muscle tension is gone. As a student coach for the Kent State Gymnastics Team we have our gymnasts stretch after practice for a few minutes. Since we have been stretching after practice the girls flexibility has increased greatly. Flexibility is much easier to increase as a child than as an adult. Remember to save a few minutes for stretching.