Should I stretch during exercise?

A common question I hear is whether or not to stretch with exercise. With respect to athletics, research studies have found little evidence to support the idea that stretching actually prevents athletic injuries. Also, muscle tears result when the force imposed on them is greater than their strength, therefore, strengthening the muscle is a much better way of preventing muscle tear injuries. But before you decide to cut stretching from your regular exercise activities consider this. A survey of high school coaches in Michigan showed that almost all of them stretch their athletes for an average of 13 minutes before a practice or competition. Close to 95 percent of these coaches believed that stretching helps to prevent injuries, and nearly 73 percent felt that there were no drawbacks to stretching. Additionally, stretching has been shown to increase range of motion by elongating muscles and tendons. This results in a greater torque at the joint allowing the athlete to throw further, jump higher, and lift heavier. It is important to note that muscles should not be stretched cold, so if you choose to stretch make sure to perform a brief warm-up of at least 5 minutes duration beforehand. Studies support the use of thirty second stretches, after warming up, to help increase range of motion.