This is one of the biggest controversies in fitness.

Will stretching help you get a better workout? Probably.

Does it matter how you do it? For the average person, probably not.

Research shows that long static stretches, in which you hold the area still for 60 to 90 seconds, can cause a decrease in force and power, but by only about 3-6%.

And if you hold the stretch for a shorter duration, there’s not much difference at all.

Regardless, according to a majority of studies, dynamic stretching – moving while you stretch – doesn’t negatively affect performance, therefore this form of stretching is recommended after a warm-up.