Those who have ever done a warm-up before a run or a match will know the routine - bend down, grab your toes and hold. Feel those hamstrings trembling.
Well it's better than nothing says physical therapist Ger Hartman. But essentially it is the wrong way to stretch. Instead, what is known as isolated active stretching involves holding position for only two to three seconds, then returning to the start position. The stretch is repeated eight to 12 times for optimal results.
Hartman goes on to explain that basketball legend Michael Jordan had a warm-up routine that included 40 minutes of isolated stretching. Eighty per cent of Jordan's pre-game warm-up consisted of stretching on a table with very little running before he actually went on court.
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