Studies find stretching is associated with more benefits than originally thought

BOSTON - Two studies have found that there's more health benefits associated with stretching than originally thought.

Most people do a little compulsory stretching before they exercise but perhaps we should do more. Two studies, one in 2020 and one in 2023, found that stretching was associated with a lower risk of death, separate and apart from other forms of exercise.

For example, Korean adults who did flexibility exercise at least five times a week had a 20% lower risk of dying compared to those who didn't stretch at all. According to Medscape, there may be a number of reasons why applying tension to muscles and connective tissue improves health: it can help you build strength, improve blood flow, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, improve athletic performance, and lead to fewer injuries.

Ideally, you want to hold a static stretch for at least 30 seconds or do several repetitions of a dynamic stretch each day.

In:
• Health
• Exercise

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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