Health and Safety

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does stretching prevent injury?

  Stretching serves many purposes, first and foremost, aiding in your flexibility and range of motion. While you may have heard that stretching can prevent injury, there is not a lot of data to support this claim. In one older study, a static stretching routine resulted in significantly fewer incidences of muscle/tendon injury and lower back pain than in a control group, but total injury rates were equal. 

  Whether or not you choose to stretch is highly dependent on the type of physical activity for which you’re preparing. In fact, there is some evidence that it may do more harm than good with high-performance athletes.

  Additionally, the type of stretching that may be appropriate varies as well. It should also be noted that just because stretching feels good, does not mean that it is necessarily preventing injury or that there is not the possibility of it aggravating an existing injury or even causing an injury.

  Learn More: Stretching 101: Benefits and Proper Technique
• Does exercise help to manage stress?

  Exercise can aid not only physical well being, but mental health as well. By reducing tension, strengthening the mind-body connection, and in many cases, inspiring a sense of calm, different forms of exercise can play a role in stress management. Physical exercise also has been shown to alleviate symptoms of clinical depression, while some forms of yoga may be a second line of defense for general anxiety disorder.

  Learn More: Exercise: The Best Stress Relief
• Can you manage chronic illness with exercise?

  Diseases such as diabetes can be prevented with exercise, and, in some cases, even reversed. Different illnesses require different courses of action, but there is evidence that lack of exercise is a cause of chronic disease.

  Learn More: Can You Prevent Diabetes With Diet and Exercise?
• Is exercise usually recommended when you have a chronic condition?

  Exercising with a chronic condition requires special considerations. Alzheimers, arthritis, and COPD are a few of the chronic conditions that require special consideration and planning. Above all else, ensure that you have clearance from a healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise program.

  Learn More: How to Begin Working Out With a Chronic Illness
• Why is it important to exercise safely?

  When putting together an exercise program, considering safety allows you to optimize your efforts by limiting injury and supporting your individual health considerations. It is easy to become discouraged by exercising if you are consistently getting hurt or injured.

  But exercising safely from the beginning and not pushing yourself beyond what is safe, will help ensure that physical activity becomes a lifestyle choice, not a temporary habit. In the end, this increases your enjoyment.

  Learn More: 7 Tips for Preventing Injury From Sports and Exercise