At one time it was normal to see athletes stretching before a game. The image of a baseball or football team doing their warm-ups assuredly includes stretching their upper and lower bodies. Or the jogger stretching their calves, thighs, and hamstrings before setting off at the local park.

Have you ever seen a runner pull up lame with a hamstring or groin pull? How about a soccer player with stress injuries to their knees? Or the baseball or tennis player with tennis elbow? Could it be that performing these static or ballistic stretches prior to exercise is not doing what they are supposed to do?

Continue on to Stretch for better fitness