April 14, 2025

You stretch because your body feels tight. Maybe it’s your hamstrings, your hips, or your shoulders. The assumption is simple: tight muscles need to be lengthened.
But what if that tightness is your body’s warning system, not a call to stretch more? For many athletes, especially those with excessive flexibility, aggressive stretching can actually do more harm than good. That’s especially true if you deal with joint pain, chronic discomfort, or symptoms that don’t improve no matter how much you stretch.