Do Kids Stretch?

Dana Cavalea: Performance Training for Baseball

Do kids stretch before they play? Do kids stretch before they run after each other? Do kids stretch ever besides in gym class and when they are forced to? The answer is a definite NO! So then why do adults and teens have to stretch? The answer to this question seems to be: LIFE MAKES YOU STRETCH. The bottom line is this, as we get older, often times we become less active, and with this reduced activity, comes more sitting. Sitting shortens muscles, which leads to altered tension on the musculo-skeletal system. This fact, along with increased muscle as a result of age, creates more tension on the body, fueling the sensation and need for stretch. So, should adults still stretch, absolutely, but if activity is increased, sitting is decreased, sports forcing multiple movements and planes of motion are performed, and pool recovery, along with massage are instituted into your routine, you can certainly stretch less!

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Dana Cavalea and Major League Strength serve as baseball performance strength and conditioning consultants for all Baseball Factory events. Dana currently serves as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. He has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Dana founded Major League Strength, a company that works to provide athletes with first class professional training and a dynamic program designed to elicit positive results in all aspects of Human Movement and Sports Performance. Dana is certified by the CSCS, NASM-PES and the USAW.