#428: Stretching

Dr. Tedd Mitchell, president of Cooper Clinic, discusses stretching. In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported its review of studies evaluating whether or not stretching is beneficial. The studies looked at the effect stretching had on athletic performance and injury prevention. Gina Kolata, reporting for The New York Times, recently wrote an article about stretching. It's easy to assess aerobic or strength conditioning, but much more difficult to assess flexibility.  There are lots of questions about stretching. Does it help or harm? Should we stretch before or after exercise? Should we stretch before or after a warm-up? These questions are difficult to answer. Dr. Mitchell gives his recommendation for the average person exercising.