Range of motion can be trained by lifting as well as by stretching. A meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials with 452 participants found no difference between strength training and stretching in range of motion gains (PMID 33917036).
Static stretching just before exercise has small effects on performance. A systematic review found larger performance losses when a muscle was stretched for 60 seconds or more than for under 60 seconds (PMID 26642915). When dynamic activity followed the stretching, no clear performance effect was seen, and range of motion gains typically lasted under 30 minutes (PMID 26642915).
Stretching alone did little for sports injuries in trials. A meta-analysis of 25 trials with 26,610 participants found no benefit from stretching, while strength training reduced sports injuries to less than a third (PMID 24100287). The stretching review also found no clear effect of static stretching on injuries (PMID 26642915).
Steps
1. **Warm up with dynamic movement**, and if you like static stretches before training, keep each one under 60 seconds (PMID 26642915).
2. **Follow stretching with dynamic activity** before you train or compete (PMID 26642915).
3. **Use full ranges of motion when you lift**, which improved range of motion about as much as stretching (PMID 33917036).
4. **Do not rely on stretching alone to protect against injury.** Strength training reduced sports injuries in the trials (PMID 24100287).
Duration
Range of motion gains from a single stretching session typically lasted less than 30 minutes (PMID 26642915). The strength training and stretching trials compared supervised training programmes rather than single sessions (PMID 33917036).
Limitations
- **The range of motion trials varied widely** in design, protocols and populations (PMID 33917036).
- **In the stretching review, testing usually happened 3 to 5 minutes after stretching**, and most studies did not add dynamic activity afterwards (PMID 26642915).
- **The injury meta-analysis found the overall effect varied between trials** (PMID 24100287).
- **This guide has not been reviewed by a clinician.** `reviewStatus` above says so.
Cautions
- **Keep long static holds away from power and speed work.** Holds of 60 seconds or more were linked to larger short-term performance losses (PMID 26642915).
- **If a joint is painful or recently injured, ask a clinician or physiotherapist before stretching it hard.**
Related canonical ingredients
No ingredient is linked from this guide. It covers stretching and range of motion, and it does not point to a product.
Sources
| PMID | Title |
| --- | --- |
| 33917036 | "Strength Training versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" |
| 26642915 | "Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review" |
| 24100287 | "The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials" |