To Stretch Or Not To Stretch Before Exercise

Can't believe our Straits Times is using a New York Times article in today's paper in the Life section on Page C3. 

The author cited 2 recent reviews but ddid not include the references so there was no way to verify the research.

What we have written before is just one static stretch of 30 seconds can reduce your maximum strength. You're more likely to get injured if you do static stretching before exercising.

Good static flexibility also does not help prevent injuries. This topic has been the studied widely, a few studies have found that there are some benefits, while a few other studies have found that being too flexible is associated with injury. Most do not seem to make much difference.

Static flexibility is not associated with non sports related problems like low back pain.

We have written on this since 2009. Was hoping this is common knowledge. 

So take note that static flexibility is not that important, unless your specific sport requires it. Stretching before, during or after a workout does not prevent subsequent muscle soreness. It does not reduce inury risk either (Herbert et al, 2011).

The goal of warming up is to physically warm your muscles to make them more pliable as well as get your heart rate up to be ready to deliver oxygen to your working muscles. 

If you run, you can ride a stationary bike for 10 minutes or just run the first kilometer real slow before picking up the pace. If you're playing badminton or tennis, I'll suggest some lunges, side to side movements, i.e. sport specific movements that you may use while playing.

Reference

Herbert RD, Noronha MD and Kamoer SJ (2011). Stretching To Prevent Or Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise. Cochrane Reviews. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub3

Here's the article from today's paper. probably don't have to read it Our blog articles on stretching are much better.

Team Building Event

We had Isabel Lim from Isabel Lim Designs teach us embroidery this morning for our team building event. We learnt how to do the back stitch, the lazy daisy, woven rose and statin stitches. 

MJ's cats

It was great fun learning a new skill and we had a great time together learning how to decorate a little bag.

Riz made this for his wife Stacy

We had lunch after that which doubles up as a farewell lunch to Byron who is leaving us to move to Adelaide, South Australia. 

All the best for your future endeavours Byron. 

An Article About Fascia

Finally an article in today's Straits Times about fascia. It was originally published in the New York Times. This helps explain a little about how and why we treat fascia and how caring for it can improve your health.

There are many skeptics and naysayers still, but more research and knowledge is definitely emerging. It's in the Life section of today's Straits Times on page C3.

Long Term Effects For Sports Related Injuries?

ST 040623

Found the perfect answer for youths who are told to exercise more frequently, in last Tuesday's (300523) Straits Times article and the comic section in today's Sunday Times (above). 

Please do not get me wrong, I am not disputing the fact that sports are very good for our youths. When they take part in sports, it teaches them teamwork, sportsmanship, improves their self esteem while letting them try risk taking (safely). And of course it makes them healthy and strong. Both physically and mentally.

Be aware that when these children/ teenagers focus too early on a single sport, they often lose interest when the going gets tough. Correct technique is very important, much more important than just brute strength. Especially when they sometimes fail to develop basic movement skills. 

We know that young athletes are definitely not small adults. Remember Gino has written about not forcing the teenage athletes. 

Our youths have very elastic connective tissue and are very resilient. Unless they are perpetually injured, there probably will not be permanent long term effects. Our clinics can definitely treat them if you need. 

Have a look at the article published on 300523 in the Straits Times on page A14.

Bowling For Team Building

I woke up with a really sore throat and running a temperature and groaned. It's our team building event today. I probably have to give it a miss. So Gino had to send our older son to school before meeting the rest of the team.

Looks like I missed some K-pop bowling the rest of the team did. And lunch as well.

They also celebrated Byron's birthday (yesterday). 

Looks like I have to look forward to the next team building session then. 

Those 'Ugly' Thick Midsole Shoes Again

Page A20 300423 Straits Times 

My last post on those 'ugly' Hoka shoes earlier in April 2023 being more popular now was echoed by the Straits Times deputy editor in yesterday's Sunday Times on page A20. 

The deputy editor wrote how she had to 'convert' from her delicate ballet flats (or minimalist type) to more sensible shoes after a foot tendon injury and foot joint stress.

Her family actually sniggered when she changed her shoes since her Generation Z children and husband had been wearing those 'ugly' maximalist shoes all the time. She explained that it was perhaps due to her "poor footwear choices over the years, from flimsy flip-flops to vertiginous heels".

I should draw your attention that evidence for "flimsy" footwear is actually very sound provided the wearer's running (and walking) technique is correct.

Using results of Daniel Liberman's study, runners who land correctly in their running technique will have benefits as impact is a lot less (even less than landing on your heels with cushioned shoes on).  If you land wrongly (with minimalist shoes) the impact is 7 times greater thus greatly increasing the chance of injury. See picture below.

(From Liberman et al, 2010)

Unfortunately most of us (runners) are very impatient for results and do not master the correct running/ landing technique while just using minimalist shoes thinking that will be sufficient.

 Also read why if you run in more cushioned/ expensive shoes, the more likely you seem to get injured to further support why running in minimalist shoes with correct technique is superior to running with cushioned/ expensive shoes. 

Page B5 Forum section

Moreover, a young reader (18 year old Amos Loh) wrote in today's Forun page B5 (pictured above) that this may "perpetuate a culture of consumerism and superficiality" since there is also pressure amongst Generation Z to keep up with te latest trends.

Reference 

Liberman DE, Venkadesan M et al (2010). Foot Strike Patterns and Collision Forces in Habitually Barefoot Versus Shod Runners. Nature. Jan 463(7280): 531-535.

Those 'Ugly' Hoka Shoes

Page C6 Life Section

I did not call them ugly, the NYT headlines did. I do see more people wearing them now though. They have been popular for quite a few yeras now. Gino has written quite a few posts on them too. However, results from the studies were not good. 

Runners not used to such thick midsoles in that study (2018) absorbed more of the impact forces of running and in less time. While wearing the regular midsole height running shoes, the impact forces of each step were lower and more evenly spread over time.

In a follow up study to the earlier study (2019), the researchers had the runners run in the maximalist shoes for six weeks (so the runners get used to them) before they repeated the testing. The runners somehow did not adjust to the shoes. Interestingly, the runners still landed with greater force and pronated more in the maximalist shoes compared to their initial test run.

Yet another follow up study which was just published last month on a new group of male and female recreational runners (Hannigan and Pollard, 2020). The researchers got New Balance to custom make a pair of their neutral running shoes to allow them to alter the shoe by adding or removing foam. This shoe can then serve as minimalist, traditional or maximalist shoes to allow the researchers to focus solely on the role of cushioning in the runners' form.

This time, a few of the runners in this study were found to land heavily in the minimalist and maximalist shoes, but they pronated most in the maximalist shoes.

The authors commented that looking at the three studies as a whole would suggest that extra cushioning does influence several aspects of the way we run. The thickly stacked soles of maximalist shoes seem to subtly affect balance, making the shoe more unstable. This is then likely to increase ankle movement and pronation.

Some runners seen our clinic have gotten seriously injured while wearing maximalist running shoes. However, I'm definitely not against any runners switching to them. Provided they have tested them and ease into training with them slowly and finding them suitable.

Hoka Clifton - fashionable?

The newspaper article on page C6 in the Life section of the Straits Times today (120423) also mentioned that it was now 'fashionable' to wear them. Seriously?

References

Hannigan JJ and Pollard CD (2019). A 6-Week Transition To Maximal Running Shoes Does Not Change Running Biomechanics. AJSM. 47(4): 968-973. DOI: 10.1177/0363546519826086.

Hannigan JJ and Pollard CD (2020). Differences In Running Biomechanics Between A Maximal, Traditional And Minimal Running Shoe. J Sci Med Sp. 23(1): 15-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.08.008

Pollard CD Ter Har JA et al (2018). Influence Of Maximal Running Shoes On Biomechanics Before And After A 5k Run. Orth J Sp Med. 6(6): 2325967118775720. DOI: 10.1177/2325967118775720.