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Revised:  24 Nov 05

FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility (stretching) exercises are often too closely associated with the warm up.  Consequently, some athletes make the common mistake of stretching cold muscles before beginning a workout, rather than first warming up the body with large-muscle activities such as walking or jogging for five to eight minutes or until perspiration is evident.  At this point, body temperature had been elevated two to four degrees and muscles can be safely stretched.  Keep in mind that you warm up to stretch, you do not stretch to warm up.

Lean body types with a good range of motion may need very little stretching, whereas stocky, more powerfully built athletes with limited ranges of motion need 5 to 10 minutes of flexibility exercises before making any radical moves such as bending over to touch the toes or explosive jumping or sprinting.

Source:  Sports Speed, Third Edition