What are the common misunderstandings about stretching?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

"Should you stretch before exercise?" is one of the topics on which advice has shifted most in exercise communities everywhere. In Japan, static stretching is a fixture of school PE lessons, and that received wisdom is out of step with current guidance.

Which to use when

• The MHLW Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023 [健康づくりのための身体活動・運動ガイド2023] recommends varied physical activity including flexibility exercises, and balance exercises for older people.
• Many studies find that long static stretching before exercise can temporarily reduce strength and explosive power straight afterwards. Guidance from the Japan Sports Agency and the Japan Sport Association also makes a (dynamic) warm-up the basic step before exercise.
• The usual guide for holding a static stretch is 20–30 seconds; longer is not better.

[Verify] Check the passages on flexibility in the 2023 Guide, and the Japan Sport Association's guidance materials.

Misunderstanding 1｜The more it hurts, the better it works

Pain is a sign the muscle is tensing to defend itself — it is not lengthening. Stop at the point of a pleasant stretch.

Misunderstanding 2｜Bouncing stretches you further

Bouncing (ballistic stretching) makes the muscle contract by reflex and causes injury. Dynamic stretching is "moving," not "swinging."

Misunderstanding 3｜Stretching before exercise prevents injury

Many studies find that static stretching alone does little to prevent injury; a dynamic warm-up has more support.

Misunderstanding 4｜Hold your breath while you stretch

Holding your breath tenses the muscles and raises blood pressure. Breathe out slowly as you stretch.

Misunderstanding 5｜Flexibility does not come back with age

Several studies find that with continued practice, range of motion improves at any age. Doing it after a bath, when the body is warm, is generally described among people living in Japan as the easiest way to keep it up. If you have a condition or an injury, ask a doctor or physiotherapist.

---

Sources

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, *Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023* [健康づくりのための身体活動・運動ガイド2023]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10904750/001171393.pdf

• Japan Sports Agency, "Guidelines for sports participation" [スポーツ実施のためのガイドライン]

https://www.mext.go.jp/sports/

• Japan Sport Association, "Preventing heatstroke and injury during sports activities" [スポーツ活動中の熱中症予防・傷害予防]

https://www.japan-sports.or.jp/

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.

Sources

Related questions

Other languages：日本語 ／ 简体中文 ／ 繁體中文 ／ 한국어

Value Village is not a government body. Always confirm procedures on the official site.
Written by Value Village from public sources. Nothing here is reproduced from another site.