Stretching can help your athletes improve their flexibility and range of motion, in turn, improving athletic performance, decreasing the risk of injury, and increasing blood flow to the muscles. Help your athletes understand how to reap the full benefits of stretching with the following tips from the sports medicine doctors at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics.

• Try a dynamic warm-up. Performing dynamic, mobile stretching warm-ups can more adequately prepare your athletes’ bodies for their workout, practice, or game than static stretches alone. Have your athletes complete stretches and moves that mimic the movements they’ll make during their workout to help their joints warm up and begin moving effectively.


• Use Gear. Lead your athletes in stretches that use resistance bands to help them prepare for their workout. Have your athletes loop a band around a static object and raise each end of the band over their heads, one by one, away from the anchor. This is a useful way to stretch tight wrist, shoulder, and back muscles. Foam rollers can be effective in reducing muscle soreness by breaking up scar tissue and improving circulation.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends stretching each of the major muscle groups at least twice a week for 60 seconds per stretch. The sports medicine doctors at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics recommend leading your athletes in a series of stretches prior to and following each practice, workout, and game.

“When your athletes are running, jumping, throwing, and pivoting in addition to their daily activities and posture, their muscles are shortening,” explains Dr. John C. Monteleone, sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics. “Regularly stretching these muscles can help your athletes ease muscle soreness and prevent long-term pain.”

To learn more about how to keep your athletes at the top of their game, contact the sports medicine doctors at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics by calling (559) 257-4107.

1630 East Herndon Avenue, Fresno, CA 93720