Interesting article about warming up.

From the NYT.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

To be honest this is not news bud.

Many sport teams have been using these (not exactly the stretches described in the article, but similar) for few years now.

So we do a combination of static, dynamic and neural stretches before training and games.

Scientists are pretty undecided about stretching eh. I'll read this fairly closely and look at what I can do differently before runs. I get a lot of tightness in my achilles and find my legs just don't move too well if I don't stretch at all so I've been pondering what to do...

Eccentric loading exercises Pete. Ask your physio what they are or look up online.

Basically eccentric loading lengthens the muscles and makes it a lot stronger. In particular stronger at the point where you load them the most. I do lots for calves, hammies and quads.

First link on google: "Rehab for Chronic Achilles Tendinitis".

Excellent, cheers!

No worries. Just remember that they need to be done on a very regular basis and for a reasonable length of time (3-4 months).

The largest study ever on the efficacy of stretching before exercise was done by the ADF a couple of years ago and showed it was of zero use

for some reason it is extremely helpful for swimming though...can tell the difference if i stretch before vs no stretching. i never stretch before running or cycling really.

Codpiece, article doesn't say that you must skip stretching all together. They're rather suggesting different stretching techniques.

So next time you're at the pool, try their suggestions (I would imagine swimming dynamic stretches would be different to those described in the article, but I'm sure it will be easy enough to find them online) instead of traditional stretches.

Their view, which I also agree with, is to warm body up before exercise, rather than stretch it.

swing arms around before stretching...

some comments on that article

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2077269;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

You mean one reply from someone doesn't get the article? LOL

it could turn into an argument between world leading excercise physiologists...if you can get andrew coggan and a few others sucked into the debate, altho he is only really interested in stuff to do with cycling.

probably because swimming is far more of a stretching exercise than either of the other two

Maybe. Being born with a third leg can have it's benefits I would imagine.