The truth about stretching before exercise

By Geoff Scott, Founder & Senior Physiotherapist, Hauora

Few topics generate more confusion than stretching. Should you stretch before a session? After? At all? The honest answer is that it depends on what you are trying to achieve, and the old advice of holding long static stretches before sport has not aged well. Here is the truth about stretching: timing and purpose matter far more than how far you can reach.

Before exercise: move, do not hold

Before training or sport, you want dynamic mobility: controlled movement through full range that prepares the body to work. Long static stretches on cold muscle can briefly reduce power and do little to prevent injury.

After exercise: gentle and unhurried

This is a better time for longer, relaxed stretching if it feels good and helps you wind down. Think of it as part of your recovery, not a performance tool.

The truth about stretching for lasting flexibility

• Train through full range with load, which builds usable mobility
• Be consistent rather than aggressive
• Address the cause of tightness, not just the symptom

If a particular area is always tight or restricted, that is worth an assessment. Stubborn tightness is often a strength or control issue in disguise.

The truth about stretching, backed by evidence

This is not guesswork. NHS exercise guidance treats stretching as one part of a wider warm-up routine, not a fix on its own. We apply the same thinking in our guide to the warm-up that protects performance. There, mobility work always comes before any static holds. The truth about stretching is that consistency over months changes tissue length far more than one long hold ever will. Treat it as ongoing practice, not a pre-match ritual. Most people benefit from doing both: brief, dynamic movement before training and slower stretching later in the day, on rest days or in the evening.