I've always heard that you shouldn't stretch before exercise because your muscles are cold and it's easier to get injured, so I've always stretched after my run. But today I was thinking about it logically and I remembered that when you work out, your muscle fibers get damaged (microtrauma, I believe it's called), so I thought that maybe it isn't such a good idea to stretch damaged muscle fibers. Is this correct?

Going by this rationale, the most logical time to stretch would be after the warm up, when your muscle fibers are warmed up but not yet damaged. Again, am I right?

I'm asking this mainly about cardio (specifically, running), but I don't think it would be different for weight training (ie. stretch after warming up). Once again, is this correct?

Thanks.

I've always heard that you shouldn't stretch before exercise because your muscles are cold and it's easier to get injured, so I've always stretched after my run. Thanks.

Perfect.

I didn't think the muscles got much in the way of those tears while running- especially in a seasoned runner like yourself. I thought that was more of a heavy lifting phenomenon- that's why the muscle grows much larger from heavy lifting as opposed to running.

It's safe to stretch after weight-lifting or running.

You should stretch twice during your runs. Once after your warm-up and again after you run. After your warm-up should include dynamic stretches and, possibly, very light relaxed stretches. After your run should be your serious relaxed stretching and is the time when you attempt to improve static flexibility.

While it's definitely easier to stretch muscles that are warmed up, the only real reason you're going to injure yourself via stretching is if you're doing something wrong. Every stretching-related injury I've every had, seen, or heard of has been the result of either improper stretching or forcing yourself further in the stretch rather than simply letting the muscle relax on its own.

Stretch before AND after. :tucool:

You are probably thinking of a "cold" stretch. What you want before you start is a "hot" stretch which is much different. get a hold of Thomas Kurz's "Stretching Scientifically" where you'll learn how to program your muscles to "remember" a stretch. He has stretches which you can do right after you get out of bed and your good to go. Used to do 'em all the time when I was in martial arts. They work because you're warming up and stretching at the same time as opposed to a "cold" stretch where you have to be good and warmed up first. Best book on stretching I ever read. Goes for about 25 bucks or so U.S.. Go to Stadion.com or Amazon Books should have it.