Based on updated research, here are a few of the more common myths that still play out on the exercise field. Stretching is for wimps. This is far from the truth. The notion that stretching is just for the elderly, the injured or the weak is more fiction than fact. Just take a look at athletes and professional competitors who include flexibility exercises as part of their training to reach peak performance.
Times are a-changin'.
Back in the late 1960s when fitness for the health of it was first being introduced by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the emphasis was on aerobic conditioning. Next to enter the fitness arena was strength training. While flexibility was always included on the fitness team, it never seemed to get the full respect it deserved. The lack of flexibility can become painfully evident as we age, when the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles becomes shorter, reducing the muscle's ability to stretch. Other benefits include reduction of lower back pain and improvement of posture and balance.