On Tuesday, I called Ellie and asked her to stop on her way home to pick up a book that I heard about on NPR. She dutifully obliged, and that night I sat down to dive right in to Gretchen Reynolds's The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer. I wouldn't necessarily say that I am much of a reader, though occasionally I will find a title that interests me. But for this book, I was not disappointed.
Reynolds positions this book in an interesting way. It's not quite a manual or a guide to getting in shape, but it's also not quite a collection of research papers confirming or dismissing commonly held principles of fitness and health. It walks the line between informing the reader that there is quite a lot of scientific research out there, but stops before doing heavy analysis of each study. Instead, it basically presents simple concepts about fitness that many of us have ingrained in us at an early age.
One of the major myths Reynolds goes after is the necessity of stretching before working out as a way to prevent injury. She points to many recent studies dismissing this concept, citing the fact that there is no scientific proof that stretching does in fact prevent injury. What I like about her style is that while she is almost "debunking" commonly held beliefs, she also presents alternatives, such as the idea of warming up by doing a lower-intensity version of the activity you will be doing. For instance, to warm up for running, you should gently jog and work the joints and muscles that will be used. There are loads of concepts, from stretching to sports nutrition, that she works through, pointing to the most current research and discussing the conclusions.
The book is pretty interesting, and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. As Ellie pointed out though (when I was scoffing at a television show talking about free radicals causing harm to the body immediately after I just so happened to have finished a chapter in the book all about them), just because it is written in Reynolds's book does not mean that is the definitive answer to everything. It does at the very least cause me to ask why I am doing particular things and not others and why I think certain methods work and others don't.
Worth a read for sure! Or, as Ellie tells me all the book reviewers say, "Highly recommended!"
I actually haven’t stretched before running in years. I don’t know the science behind it, but apparently stretching can negatively affect your muscles for running. (I will admit to blindly following my husband on topics such as this).
Your husband is right on. In the book they talk about how stretching reduces your ability to generate force. She basically likened it to a rubber band. The more stretched out a rubber band is, the less elasticity it has, which translates into less force from pulling it back. A tighter rubber band can generate a lot more energy.
Just the reasoning I needed to never stretch before running again!
I’ll be interested to see all the things this author “debunks” and how it affects our runs! I think I’ve been doing a number of these things (not stretching, not hydrating properly) mostly because I am lazy/preoccupied/lazy, again . . . so it will be nice to think I am doing something right just by sheer accident, he heh.
It’s better to be lucky then smart, thats my motto!
I want to know what Mike has to say about not stretching. After his stints in PT he stretches for like an hour before he runs.
[…] month I wrote a short first impressions review of The First 20 Minutes by Gretchen Reynolds. Today I wanted to write a follow-up review on my […]