If stretching has proven to be ineffective and perhaps even detremental. What benefits if any does yoga do for you on non-exercise days?

If stretching has proven to be ineffective and perhaps even detremental. What benefits if any does yoga do for you on non-exercise days?

Errr...none? I think yoga should have been on this list.

Sorry, but stretching after a run is not a myth, for me at least. I don't research or blind assertions against research to talk me into or out of the tightness and occasional cramping I have after a run if I don't stretch. It happens unless I stretch. If I don't, pop goes the hammie. Not to mention the ongoing tightness that goes away just by stretching for a cpl mins the right way (reflexively, not hurdler stretches)

My Orthopedic doctor says otherwise and he was a world-class Decathlete

10 biggest fitness myths...... uh how about the guy on the cover wearing a "power bracelet" their site says "Power Balance said the bands are developed in the US and embedded with a "Mylar hologram" (a type of polyester film), which allegedly mimics "Eastern philosophies" and optimises the wearer's "natural energy field". yeah ok.. ill stretch and take my ice baths thanks

yoga improves balance and strength, it's a lot more than just stretching. i'm much more a distance and endurance sport type, but i do finish a hard workout with 15 minutes of yoga poses and i feel and see the benefits.

What kind of information leads the author to believe these are myths? Have studies been run? If so, what were they? I need a lot more information to decide what's fact and what's fiction.

I have read several articles int he past couple of years on stretching. It is no longer considered a great idea to stretch BEFORE exercise as it can lead to increased injuries and slower performance. Stretching AFTER exercise is still recommended. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/flexibility/a/aa022102a.htm

I recently was slammed by a "distracted" driver while bicycling -- I had more than ample lights and yellow/bright clothing. The dizzy driver and another person were amazed that I was able to stand up, walk off the road, then go back to retrieve the bashed bike (since nobody else had the guts or courtesy to do so). I attribute my ability to defy the odds to stretching and core-building and yoga-type exercises, in addition to my dad teaching me how to roll many years ago. I'll keep stretching, even though no advertisers make money off of that.

Remember, be objective and informed and in tune with your body. Do your homework. This article is just reporting an angle, its not definitive. I don't agree with most of the "myths", but it gives me a reason to go back and affirm exactly why I do not agree. Most of us are to young to know, but physicians used to prescribe smoking cigarettes to quell stomach aches after huge meals...

Since each person is different, it is a myth to believe you can make general statements about any particular activity. Bottom line: If it works for you, it is not a myth. Personally, some of the alleged myths have worked for me, and some have not.

The myth is not that stretching per se is bad, but that it prevents stress injuries, and yes, several studies confirm this. Stress injuries occur when the musculature is OVER stressed--i.e, not strong enough--and the problem with stretching (i.e.--static stretching of hamstrings and Achilles' parts) is that it does NOT strengthen anything. To strengthen those parts, they need to be dynamically loaded, ie. actually exercised--knee bends (preferably DEEP knee bends so that both range of motion and strength throughout that full RoM is increased). Almost all non-trauma injuries occur due to lack of strength in the knee, ankle, so one really needs to work on the strength, not the stretching.

Well, that was an absolutely useless article - a list of opinions without reasons for holding them.

never belive anything you read on the internet if there are no references/footnotes to backup the claims. I see none here. That indicates very shoddy writing to me. Outside Magazine should aspire to be better than this.

WTF?

@Torkurus Saxon I agree.

Re Terance, Torkurus &definetly Phil M; yeah me too!

Re Terance, Torkurus &definetly Phil M; yeah me too!

Wow! What a credible article! Besides the writer's (won't dare say "journalist") opinions in point form, where is the rest of the matter? Or was the "story idea" just thrown onto page in point form by mistake? Who have you spoken to? Says who? Where are the quotes? Where is the credibility? Pathetic attempt at trying to get some online hits!!

This article was certainly interesting, but the author is drawing conclusions from the cited studies that ought not to be drawn. For example: ice baths may or may not aid in reducing muscle soreness (and he only cites ONE study?), but they certainly reduce inflammation. I am a physiologist, and admittedly we don't know WHY ice does that (on a cellular level...no one really knows) but numerous studies have shown that. So...can ice baths be beneficial for joint-tissue recovery? Sure! When you're running a lot, you're banging up your ankles, knees, and hips and ice can be great to help with that. Seated leg-extensions? Come on...that is a pretty stupid experimental group to use. Sounds like some lazy researchers to me. Don't do so much extrapolating of data.

prove it- prove 'em all. in God we trust, all others bring data. . show some reputable data. As for stretching, i can say i don't stretch BEFORE a workout... just warm up slower than i used to...

prove it- prove 'em all. in God we trust, all others bring data. . show some reputable data. As for stretching, i can say i don't stretch BEFORE a workout... just warm up slower than i used to...

This list is terrible! 48,221

Huh? Dehydration doesn't hurt race performance? I'm not an elite athlete (far from it) and I can tell a difference in my performance when I'm dehydrated. I also find long and slow is the best way to burn calories. Sure, higher intensity means I burn them faster but I'd rather burn 30 calories per mile for 100 miles than power through 60 calories per mile if it leaves me exhausted after 10 miles.

I take it back

uhhh, guys, you can click on the myths to read more. and if you're just doing yoga to stretch, you're missing the point.

uhhh, guys, you can click on the myths to read more. and if you're just doing yoga to stretch, you're missing the point.

Poorly researched and disappointing article. The ACL item is particularly worrying; there's absolutely no mention of the potential consequences of long-term ACL deficiency in an active person's knee joint, which is just as important as the restoration of function in the shorter term. As an athlete who researched the pros and cons of ACL deficiency very thoroughly before opting to have surgery, I find the commentary unbalanced - the writer clearly did not do their homework on this one.

I don't understand why you would post such myths without backing them up with some real facts. Tell us why these are all myths and what we should be doing instead. Bogus post actually. Everyone's bodies react different to different types of programs. It is not possible to post such an overarching list and expect it to work for everything. I am truly wondering what you are trying to accomplish here. I would expect a lot more from Outside magazine. Did you cut and paste this from Maxim?

Thats the dumbest top ten list ever. at least explain yourself. That annoyed me.

"Everyone's bodies react different to different types of programs." Agreed. If I do not stretch before any activity where I really push a running sprint, I WILL pop my left achilles, and I will more than likely also pull a groin. Years of trial and error.

I have always admired outside magazine, but this article is just terrible. You can't make these bold statements and not back them up with research.

Absolutely ridiculous. Where are the facts to back them up? I am disappointed Outside Online. Unsubscribe if I see drivel like this again.

Problem with this list is it provides no evidence to back it up. I can create the exact same list stating the opposite. And to those who think yoga does nothing, well, I'd argue quite differently =D

Obviously the person that wrote this article isn' t over 50 and works out heavy. If I didn't stretch before a workout I would at a minimum pull a muscle if not tear it. Since I stretch and warm up I don't pull or tear anything. The study was probably with 20 year olds which I'm not.

I just realized you can click the links, I'll look into it, but it's going to take a lot to change my stance.

Pretty good list. I think the barefoot running section is silly, since it agrees that barefoot running is actually beneficial (or likely so), just that some people don't do it correctly. The rest is mostly spot on, although it's also mostly common sense. Sports is full of cliches and bad advice. Most of the things people tell you about training are purely heuristic (if not totally made up). Use your common sense and don't put too much emphasis on anything outside of hard work, consistency, diet, and getting enough sleep.

Found the Comments section more beneficial than the article! Fitness, outside of a few principles, is specific and individual in its effect. One size does not fit all. And there is no ONE Fitness Protocol for every individual on the planet. Its good to be a skeptic about any one program or activity that claims to do it all and fit everyone.Examples: certain body types benefit from long slow cardio. Running in combat boots, at ones own pace, over a variety of terrain is very useful for us Soldiers. Conversely, running barefoot to counter effect the boot running, is also good. And then there are psychological factors! 'Nuff said!!

Thanks for your comments, everyone. We appreciate the feedback. In an effort to clear up some confusion, we wanted to point out that this article is composed of 14 different, smaller articles, each of which explain more about each myth. You can read through all the articles by clicking on the above links or the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Where's the research to back up your opinions here? i can see a lot of them being right but dehydration not hurting race performance? a little odd. if you could just cire your references it'd be a big help. thank you.

If you don't think stretching is beneficial to performance, you've never played capoeira, gone rock climbing, done gymnastics, etc. or else, looki ng to read the exhaustive explanation of how to improve flexibility in the separate article.

Overall much of the support studies are weak, especially when applying a broad brush to all sports. Core strength is critical for long distance to avoid leg injuries, to keep legs raised in swimming, for combat sports, for the up stroke cycling. Dehydration does hurt performance if you go into an event dehydrated and then lose an additional 2.5-3%. Creatine kinase is produced when the muscles are damaged. Ice baths are not going to make it magically disappear, but it does reduce swelling of all the muscle fiber tears (especially with trained athletes). Generalizations make for weak recommendations.

I see a lot people complaining about what has been claimed and what is wrong, yet no one has bothered to do their own research as leave cited counter argument. Also anecdotal claims will not help you win your argument, they are not based on any evidence other than your own experiences which are usually biased, especially if your the yoga instructor complaining: See Sunken Cost Fallacy. I was curious about compression clothing/socks for runners? Can Outside or anyone cite any benefit these things have? I've done a couple of searches but most of it comes back as marketing.

I tried not stretching before running, did it for a while, with no problems. About a year latter I developed tendinitis in my foot. After stretching it out, even when I wasn't working out, three months later I was nearly back to 100%. However now, if I don't stretch it will comeback with a vengeance within a half a mile of running.

This list is utter bollocks. Stretching and yoga... really? Please cite evidence.

Wow it seems as if people really have a problem with the stretching myth. Look guys everyone is different. I have extremely tight hamstrings, so I need to stretch before and after working out or running to avoid pulling the muscle or getting cramps. Some people don't. Calm down and stop acting like this article is the Bible. I don't agree with everything that is written but I a lot is spot on. Especially the article written about Low and Slow cardio not being benifical to weight loss. I lost 100 lbs by running sprints and performing HIIT 3 times a week. No loose skin, lost a ton of fat and gained even more muscle.. I for one learned a thing or two from the articles.

This is the dumbest list I have ever came across.

I can't believe this article was published. What is the authors credentials and where is the research. People believe what they read in every magazine. I have a Masters in Exercise Science and multiple certifications in the industry. The one solid fact that I have found with all my education and 15 years of experience is that anything can be proved or disproved with research based on what you are looking for as a result.

Love it. I see a lot of athletes with chronic injuries in part due to stretching. It's rarely beneficial. Ask yourself why you need to stretch - that's not normal to only feel good when you do. Flexibility is a reflection of health, especially the health of your neuromuscular system. Stretching does not address this, and more often than not it's harmful. And stretching and yoga are NOT the same thing. Here's my full post: http://sock-doc.com/2011/04/stop-stretching/

hyper streching is always harmful to joints and ligaments

what an absolutely terrible list, with no scientific data or links to back it up.

Stretching before warming up is ALWAYS useless - the body should be warmed up before stretching - get the muscles warmed up and the blood flowing and ease into it. "Static" styles of stretching are then the best choices - as "hyper stretching" (over-extending) can strain and tear muscles.. You cannot "pull" a muscle - the damage could be strains, sprains, micro-tears, major tears, inflammation (including the fascia), bruising - but a "pulled muscle" is a common misnomer, and NOT an actual medical condition...

Who wrote this nonsense and not even post any research backup.i am a physio and DOMP for 20years and also very active myself.. Without a stretching program before and after activities, my practice would be even more busy. If you publish such nonsense please show us the reference.

Dear editor: please hire professionals who know how to properly research a subject. It is not fair to your readers to publish such loosly researched garbage. Thanks

What a s**t article this is. The most ridiculous arguments supported by outdated and hardly scientific studies selected by the author. Anyone who actually trains regularly knows this list is bs just by reading the headers. Too bad Outside allows "science" like this to be published.

Good article, I think you've managed to introduce some of the more complex issues surrounding health and fitness research in a clear and concise way. If nothing else, I hope it provokes the people who doubt your "Myths" to go and read the research articles, decide which studies are good and which are poor and ultimately make up their own minds. Thanks.

My problem with this article is its overall "lack of power". Small study sizes of, more often than not, highly trained athletes does not mean that the results can be directly translated to the entire body of athletes or people exercising. The ultra-marathoner or triathlete probably does not compare to the casual 10K runner (which I bet makes up a larger portion of this audience). If you are a serious athlete discuss this article with your sports medicine physician (not every family practitioner keeps up on the data), certified atheletic trainer or exercise physiologist.

My problem with this article is its overall "lack of power". Small study sizes of, more often than not, highly trained athletes does not mean that the results can be directly translated to the entire body of athletes or people exercising. The ultra-marathoner or triathlete probably does not compare to the casual 10K runner (which I bet makes up a larger portion of this audience). If you are a serious athlete discuss this article with your sports medicine physician (not every family practitioner keeps up on the data), certified atheletic trainer or exercise physiologist.

This article is a huge waste of time. The author pathetically tries to drum up controversy by taking a few obscure studies and presenting them as "the new truth". The only good news is that most of the readers (or former readers) don't seem to buy it one bit. Also, since it's 2011, how about having a way to support or like another person's comment?? Probably a good idea since the only value here is not in the article, but in the comments. Outside Magazine should aim higher than this.

Hey fellow commenters, I think you will find it helpful to click on the points. You will find that they are actually links to pieces of the article that ran in the magazine, which is researched and which does quote qualified sources (props to Kate and the Outside peeps who already pointed this out, but I felt the need to re-state for obvious reasons). Love Outside Magazine. Month-to-month, it contains some of the best writing and reporting in print today.

outside magazine really should do better than this. please pull this article please before someone takes this as universal truth.

There might have been some legitimate arguments but it seems the author wanted to round it out to "10" so she claimed some myth busters based on a very small study. I was reading with interest until she downplayed the impact of electrolytes in preventing cramps. As an ultra-cyclist, replenishing electrolytes is truly key to a good ride. After reading that, it just made me suspicious of the rest of the article.

Gretchen - GREAT ARTICLE! One on these days we will stop living in the stone age, actually understand the human body and not just do things because "they" said to do them! Keep these types of articles going because eventually those "bashers" will come to their senses! I work with people daily on a lot of these "myths" and you are DEAD ON! THANKS!

Seriously? In the supplement section, Outside is promoting an item from the WADA banned list as an option? Seriously? That deserves an explanation and an apology.