If you’re an athlete, you’ve probably heard at some point that yoga is good for you and chances are, the person promoting it to you was applauding its mobility benefits. You know, you rack up the miles in your trail running shoes and all that repetitive movement leaves you with stiff hamstrings, ergo you need to stretch.
Well, maybe. But as I’ve previously written, scientists don’t actually fully understand what’s happening to your muscles when you stretch, and it’s not always the best choice for athletes. If you’re training for an marathon, the principle of specificity tells you that to sharpen that competitive edge, you want to focus on speed and power, and stretching out your muscle fibers might counteract the work you’re putting in on the trail. Then again, if like me you’re just someone who loves to run on trails for the mental and physical health benefits of green exercise, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of stretching if it feels good.
