🏃♀️ Stretching in 2026: What Actually Helps (and What Doesn’t)
Stretching is one of the most common things people do for pain, stiffness, and injury prevention. Most of us were taught that if a muscle feels tight — you should stretch it.
It’s long been a go-to in warm-ups, cool-downs, and injury rehab, and many of us grew up believing it’s essential. But does it actually deliver on what we think it does?
A recent international study brought together stretching experts from around the world to review decades of research. Their findings offer a clearer, more nuanced picture — and may surprise you.
We’ve previously explored this in our blogs “Stretching vs Strengthening — What Actually Prevents Injury” and “Stretching: Yes, No and When Not To!”, and a recent expert review reinforces many of those same messages.
Here’s what the latest evidence means for you.
✅ What Stretching Does Help With
Improving flexibility (range of motion)
Short holds (5–30 seconds) help in the short term.
Longer-term stretching (30–120 seconds per muscle, done regularly) improves range of motion over weeks.
Tip: Strength training through full ranges of motion and regular movement can produce similar improvements.
Reducing the feeling of muscle stiffness
Longer stretch holds can reduce stiffness over time — but stiffness isn’t always bad.
For running and jumping, some stiffness helps muscles store and release energy efficiently.
Possible cardiovascular benefits (for some people)
Regular, structured stretching may improve blood vessel health.
Useful for people who can’t currently tolerate aerobic or resistance exercise, though research is still developing.
❌ Where Stretching Falls Short
Stretching alone does not reliably prevent injuries
Research shows stretching by itself does not significantly reduce injury risk.
Strength training has been shown to reduce injuries by over 60%, particularly for overuse injuries.
It doesn’t build strength or muscle
Long stretches every day are impractical. Resistance training remains the most effective way to build strong, resilient muscles.
It won’t fix posture by itself
Posture is influenced by muscle strength, load tolerance, and movement habits — not just stretching.
It doesn’t speed up recovery
Stretching after exercise does not reduce muscle soreness or speed recovery.
Personal tip: I use stretching to target specific tight areas after training or running longer distances, or at different speeds than usual. It’s about managing tension, not speeding recovery.
🤔 So… Should You Be Stretching?
Stretching isn’t a magic bullet — but it’s not useless either. It’s one tool in your toolbox, with real benefits if used in the right way.
Stretching can be helpful when:
Your goal is improving flexibility or reducing stiffness
It’s part of a gentle warm-up or cool-down (keep stretches short if you’re about to do explosive activity)
It feels genuinely helpful for you
You can’t currently do other forms of exercise
Stretching may not be the best option when:
You’re dealing with an acute injury
Pain is coming from weakness or poor load tolerance
You have tendon pain or joint instability
You’re relying on stretching alone to build strength, muscle, prevent injury, fix posture, or speed recovery
Context matters — which is exactly what we discussed in “Stretching: Yes, No and When Not To!” Use stretching with purpose, alongside strengthening and movement-based training, for the best results.
💡 The Bottom Line & Our Advice
Stretching has a place — but it works best when used with purpose. On its own, it’s not a cure-all. For long-term results, the strongest evidence supports combining:
Strength training
Movement-based exercise
Load management
Selective stretching where appropriate
If stretching hasn’t helped your pain or stiffness over time, it may be a sign that something else is missing. In the clinic, we recommend using stretching as part of a broader plan — combined with strength training, balance work, and sport-specific exercises.
We don’t hand out generic stretching sheets. Instead, we assess why something feels tight or sore, what loads your body is tolerating, and what needs to change — then build a personalised plan that may include stretching, strengthening, or both.
📅 Ready to optimise your stretching routine?
Book a personalised assessment with our physios
We’ll guide you on when, how, and where stretching fits into your training — and make sure it complements your strength, mobility, and movement goals.
Further reading on our blog:
• Stretching vs Strengthening — What Actually Prevents Injury
• Stretching: Yes, No and When Not To
