Confession of a non-stretcher

Confession of a non-stretcher, or at least one who stretches very little after a workout.

Went to the Sports Med Doc for the recent knee problems I'm having.  It was an awkward appointment as I had no pain at all in the knee by the time the appointment came around.  I experienced the pain in races where I was doing some jogging (jog 90 seconds, walk 3.5 minutes, repeat) and it would last up to a week or so.  I actually contemplated doing a 10K the Saturday before and jogging just so I would hurt my knee - but thought better to not do that.

Long story - short, doc is checking out my knees while I'm laying down, back side first then stomach side down.  He says everything looks fine but you do not stretch - he didn't even ask me, he could just tell.  He was right.  Actually I do stretch, a bit, but not nearly enough.  He thinks the problem may be caused or exacerbated by me not stretching after the workout.

So now I am stretching after every walk, religiously, a lot.  We will see, time will tell.

 It actually feels really good once the muscles get all warmed up to stretch them out with various stretches over 15-20 minutes or so.  It really was that 15-20 minute thing why I never use to stretch.  Now I make the time. 

So a few days ago I'm stretching after a lunchtime walk - it was a set of stairs leading up to a parking area near the office, I was at the bottom and a woman walks up behind me and says - "oh, you're stretching, I though I was going to have to help you up the stairs".    :)