Should Athletes Static Stretch?

[Jordan*]

Hi! I am a collegiate basketball player and I’m wondering if I should be static stretching or not? I’ve heard so much conflicting information that I just don’t know what to do. I’ve heard some say joint mobility is the way to go and not to do any static stretching because it may lead to injury because your only increasing passive flexibility not active flexibility. As a basketball player I just want to stay injury free so that I can play professionally as long as possible.  Any thoughts? 

I already do a strength training program at the college, but I figure its probably a good idea to be working on my mobility/flexibility. Whats a good starting place for an athlete like myself? Master the Squat and hip mobility program? I'd say I'm more mobile than most basketball players so not a beginner but definitely not advanced.

[Nathan]

Hi Jay,

Welcome to the forums!

Static stretches are one of many tools that you can use to work on flexibility/mobility. As with any set of tools, none of them are inherently bad, but you're almost never going to get the best results by using only one tool, and certain tools may be more useful for specific goals than others. For example, spending time in a stretch can be great for relaxing and calming the system (as long as you are not pushing too far into the stretch), so static stretches can be a great cool down after training or a form of active recovery on a day off. If you're working on increasing your active flexibility as well, there's no need to avoid static stretching.

Master the Squat is a great place for anyone to start, as long as you are willing to put a bit of effort into exploring the stretches and cultivating your own practice. If you don't have the time or motivation to do that (not all of us do!), then I recommend considering the follow-along Absolute Beginner Stretching Series. Don't be put off by the name. It was designed to be beginner-friendly, but there is plenty there for intermediate practitioners and beyond, as well. (As an athlete, I'm sure you know the importance of always coming back to and honing the basics!) It will introduce you to the Stretch Therapy concepts (Contract-Relax, for example, adds the active/strengthening component to otherwise static stretches) and all of the most important stretches. Kit has plans for follow-along videos of the Master series as well, but don't let that be an excuse to avoid getting started!

[Kit_L]

On 8/6/2018 at 3:56 AM, Jordan C said:

I’ve heard some say joint mobility is the way to go and not to do any static stretching because it may lead to injury because your only increasing passive flexibility not active flexibility.

Welcome, @Jordan C; like most of the "things we've heard", qualifications and discriminations are required. Recommending joint mobility work would be poor advice if you have hypermobile joints, for example. The system we teach actually develops considerable strength at the end of the range of movement you have now, in addition to increasing that ROM, in time. No other training can do this, BTW. And non-trauma injuries usually result from not being able to control excursion beyond your current ROM (think about pulled muscles; in your sport, momentum is always involved). And I can tell you from many years of experience that increasing your ROM this way most definitely will help your dynamic flexibility. Is this good or bad? By asking this question, I am really asking 'in what areas of your sport do you feel that limitations to ROM are limiting your on-court performance'?

As an ex-athlete myself (middle distance running at one point, Olympic lifting at another) I would want to know whether the time I was intending to spend in a new activity will benefit my sport and, if so, how, exactly. I should say I have a different view to stretching, flexibility, and mobility to most people. Before I give any specific advice, I want to know how you think your strength training will improve your performance on the court. I know, for example, that some kinds of weight training will improve your vertical jump, and that is a clear and obvious skill to want to improve in your sport.

Because modern basketball is so skill and fast-movement intensive, and requires elite aerobic and anaerobic fitness, the practise of these skills and the acquisition of those cardiovascular attributes needs to be your main focus. I am sure that it is, already.

So, what are the goals of your strength training (or what do your coaches tell you the goals are), before you commit to learning how to stretch more effectively?

[Jordan*]

@Nathan Great to meet you. Thanks for the response.

@Kit_L Thank you for explanation! In response to your question:

what are the goals of your strength training - What I've been told by my college strength coach is: to increase my vertical jump, speed, and explosiveness, as well gain a bit of muscular size to help with the bumping and pushing that occurs during the game. Its a pretty typical college weight training program - back squats, bench press, split squats, etc. I figure I should probably add in some flexibility/mobility training like your system if I want to stay healthy and as injury free as possible.

 

[MarkusO]

Hello Jordan!

I agree with what has  already been said. Another point that has not yet been directly addressed and a factor to keep in mind: Stretching in general and ST in particular, in addition to other great things it is doing, will develop and improve your very own body "radar". That is, mindful stretching will equip you with a sense of what is the current state of your body and which parts might need some maintenance. Of course as an active athlete you will already have a much better awareness of your own body as an untrained individual. However it is a point to keep in mind. Moreover, in no time you will discover any kind of left/right differences or flexibility deficits that might be worth working on.

And last but not least: Stretching just feels good! :-) 

[Kit_L]

19 hours ago, Jordan* said:

I figure I should probably add in some flexibility/mobility training like your system if I want to stay healthy and as injury free as possible.

Ah: now that's a very worthwhile goal. So: "injury free". This, really, is what stretching is all about—maintaining the instrument, and providing it with reserves against unexpected stresses. Especially significant in an athlete, and one who might go pro., perhaps.

My earlier questions were directed to getting you to look at what you really might want from adding stretching to your weekly training load. You already have adequate ROM for your sport, so it won't be that. Wanting to stay as injury free as possible, though, is all about being as familiar with your instrument as you can be, and in respect of that goal, as @MarkusO says, stretching is uniquely powerful. I have written extensively here and elsewhere about this, but the short story is that learning to stretch the way we do it is the fast track to understanding what your body needs on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.

Start with Master the Squat, for sure.