Our pros give no-nonsense answers to all of your stretching and flexibility questions.
Are some people naturally stiff?
“Yes,” says David Ishii, DPT, owner of Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Performance in Huntington Beach, California. He says that even though we are all built differently, everyone benefits from regular moderate stretching to optimize their individual range of motion.
What time of the day is better for stretching?
“Later in the day is always best,” says Suzanne Martin, DPT, author of Stretching (DK Publishing, 2005), adding that “you’ll also get a better stretch after a cardio workout or strength-training session, when your body is warm.” If you stretch in the morning, be sure to warm up with easy, small-range repetitive motions (also known as dynamic stretching) before progressing to the deeper stretches.
How often should I stretch?
Two to three times a week will do the trick. “You begin to lose muscle memory after about three days,” says Martin. “If you can find a way to make stretching a part of your daily routine, that would be ideal.”
