S-T-R-E-T-C-H

Fifteen seconds is better than five, though five is still better than nothing when it comes to improving flexibility. A new study out of the U.K. suggests a significant benefits from holding each stretch at least 15 seconds as opposed to five seconds or not stretching at all. Twenty-four college students (average age 20) participated in the five-week training study. Those in the five-second group performed each stretch nine times, while those in the 15-second group did each stretch three times. While both groups improved their passive range of motion, those who held their stretches longer showed greater improvements in active range of motion as well.

Source: British Medical Journal, 1999; 33: 259-263

Even Short Stretches are Beneficial

It's the part of the workout most likely to get short-changed - the cool-down stretch. Never mind that it usually takes just five to 10 minutes.

Well here's some good news for you time-pressed exercisers. Holding a stretch for as little as 10 seconds may be just as effective as holding it for 30 seconds.

Researchers at the Medical College of Ohio recruited 23 healthy students and staff members to perform a hamstring stretch twice a day. One leg was stretched six times for 10 seconds with a five-second rest in between. The other leg was stretched twice for 30 seconds at a time. After six weeks, measurements taken by a physical therapist indicated that the range of motion in both hips was equally improved.

Now some will argue that both groups stretched the same amount of time per day - two minutes. However, because shorter-duration stretches are more tolerable, researchers believe exercisers will be more likely to do them regularly.

Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, May 2003

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