Stretching used to be the cure-all for every communicable diseases physical ailment.

However, stretching has become a ten four letter word the last decade or so, and that’s a good and bad thing.

People swore stretching would:

• alleviate soreness
• keep soreness away
• improve muscle length
• improve “tightness”
• heal injuries
• prevent injuries
• improve performance

Well, now we know that some of those are true some of the time.

Like most things in life it comes down to CONTEXT.

The how, what, why and when.

Case in point; stretching does help to improve muscle length, if you have a statically tight muscle.

But 

Stretching in the short-term decreases power and strength, thereby performance.

So should you stretch right before you sprint?

Again, it depends…..

Stretching does help alleviate some soreness in the short-term after training and can “re-set” muscle tonus and promote healing, however too much stretching damages the repair sites at the cellular level and can prolong damage and soreness.

How much should you stretch after training?

It depends….

Point is: Stretching, just like EVERY other physical training modality, has a time and place.

That said, stretching is a great thing for 99% of people I train to do EVERY DAY. If for no other reason than to re-establish some of the length and suppleness we lose from sitting all day.

Just in case you were confused: this is a VERY BAD posture. 

What you should do:

Run down this list 1-3 times a day and hold the stretches for 30-60 seconds each.

Neck Stretches:

Levator Scapula:

How to: 

• Sit Tall.
• Look at the armpit and drop the chin towards it.
• Reach over the head and GENTLY pull the head towards the armpit.

Upper Trap:

How to:

• Sit Tall.
• Drop the head towards a shoulder.
• Reach over the head and GENTLY pull the head towards the shoulder.Torso Stretches:

Torso Stretches:

Lat Stretch:

How to:

• Grab a pole, door frame, or anything sturdy.
• Push the hips back.
• Let the shoulder come forward in the joint and relax.
• Try to find the position where you’ll feel the biggest stretch, this may take a little playing around.

Chest Stretch:

 How to:

• Stand tall in front of a door frame, power rack or Trx. 
• Lean forward from the sternum (middle of the chest).
• Just go to the point of a stretch, don’t “press” forward and force the stretch, “fall” into it.

Lower Body Stretches:

Glute Stretch:

How to: 

• Find something of the appropriate height for you. This will vary wildly.
• Cross the foot in front of the body and drop the back knee straight down while sitting tall.
• Keep the ribs down.
• Move the torso over top the hip to find the especially tight points and hang out there for a few seconds.

Calf Stretch:

 How to:

• Lean forward arms outstretched against a wall with one foot forward and the back foot flat on the ground.
• Lean forward or move the back foot farther back as the stretch decreases.

The Greatest Stretch in the World:

Hip Flexor Stretch, Beginner:

Hip Flexor Stretch, Advanced:

How To:

•  Take a lunge stance or place the back foot up on something, the knee must be resting on the floor.
• Sit tall, with the “Ribs Down”, tacked into the abs. 
• Squeeze the glute of the down leg.
• Push the HIP, just the hip forward in the joint, without extending the lower back and “popping the ribs up”.

Yes, there are about 1,000 other worthwhile stretches you could do.

But, let’s be realistic, it’s like pulling teeth just to get people to invest the 5 minutes and do each of these 7 once a day.