Dynamic vs. Static Stretching

Please use this forum to ask any questions you may have about yoga in general or Yin Yoga in particular, or to discuss anything you have discovered that may be of general interest. Note, spam will be removed and the user deleted, and this includes putting website in your posting that are purely commercial.
Post Reply
Nick
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:09 am

Dynamic vs. Static Stretching

Post by Nick »

Can anyone provide some clarity around the seemingly endless dynamic vs. static stretching debate?

It appears that current research heavily favors dynamic stretching over static stretching in terms of effectiveness and safety and that while static stretching may be beneficial, it is unnecessary in most cases.

I guess I'd just like to see a comparable amount of research in support of static stretching rather than anecdotal evidence.

I'd appreciate any feedback.
Nick
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:09 am

Post by Nick »

For anyone else interested in this topic, I found this article thought-provoking:

http://saveyourself.ca/articles/stretching.php
Roberta
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:54 am
Location: UK

Post by Roberta »

My humble opinion is that if stretching feels good (and it does!) and if other animals naturally do it (and they do), then it means that it must be good for you! :D
Roberta x
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Dynamic vs Static stress

Post by Bernie »

Hi Nick ... been waiting to reply until I looked over the full web site you referenced. Lots of interesting, provocative stuff in there! That's good - it is nice to have your favorite theories shaken and stirred from time to time. I would actually agree with a lot of what Paul Ingraham has to say, although at times he does seem to be going a bit overboard with his "skeptical" attitude, to the point that he fails to be skeptical of his own skepticism (a tough ask of anybody.) Not everything that isn't or can't be supported or explained by science is valueless. Sometimes we have to fall back on empiricism: if it feels good and works for you, does it matter that science can't (not yet) explain why it is working?

But! That was not your original question. Dynamic vs Static stretching: why is there even a debate? Let's revisit what the intentions are. I am sure that there is not a single orthodontist who would recommend dynamic stretching of the jaw when braces are indicated. Rather - a long (very long! 2 ~ 4 years in some cases) held, static stress is applied to the jaw (a very yin-like tissue) in order to remodel it. Yin tissues require yin stresses. Yang tissues require yang stresses. In the post you cite "current research" but you don't state the intention of these researchers: what kinds of tissues were they targeting with what kind of outcome expected/desired?

In my books I have addressed this question (see Yin tissues and Yang tissues) but feel free to drill down deeper.

Cheers
Bernie
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

More on static stretching

Post by Bernie »

Hi Nick - I just posted a rather long thread on this topic. You may find it interesting.

Cheers
Bernie
Post Reply