Gerlad Foley a colleague of mine has done a talk and written a very interesting paper on this isssue at
http://www.geraldfoley.co.uk/Pre-exercise%20stretching.pdf
It is not true that as AT teachers we are anti-exercise, but HOW we exercise, and some of the those savage ham string stretches before a football match may well be what causes the torn ligaments.
“stretching somehow increases tolerance to pain – that is it has an analgesic effect. It does not seem prudent to decrease one’s tolerance to pain, possibly create some damage at the cytoskeletal level and then exercise this damaged anaesthetised muscle.” (Ian Shrier)
Gentle easy warm ups are the answer then.
‘So we tell our pupils that before they start exercising it is a good idea to stop and get rid of whatever tightening and pulling down they are doing, and allow themselves to lengthen and widen. This brings their muscles into a state of lengthened and balanced equilibrium which is the best state to be in for doing the next thing.
- And if they are going to the gym or going to play squash or tennis, they should certainly go through a gradual warm-up to whatever level of activity they want. And they should do this by gentle movement rather than violent pulling at themselves in static stretches.’ Gerald Foley