Stretching is kinda boring. It’s sometimes uncomfortable. And it’s not obvious that it actually achieves much.

That is, until you go to a physiotherapist with an injury, they have a look over you and tell you that part of the reason you got the injury is that your muscles are unbalanced or too tight, thereby stuffing up your joint mechanics.

That sort of thing happens to many athletes who like to push themselves hard, and even those who don’t! So a little daily prevention can save a lot more pain later.

The research on stretching and athletic performance is still in progress but the quick summary is that stretching is somewhat useful before exercise and definitely important after exercise to speed up recovery and add looseness to the exercised muscles.

To check what the top sailors do, I asked some experienced and successful competitors their thoughts. My subjects were Malcolm Page, 470 World champion and 2008 Gold medalist and Michael Blackburn, Laser World Champion, Olympic medalist and 2008 Olympic Coach.

I asked them to name their favorite stretches to do after a day on the water racing or training.

Mal Page
1. Back rotation stretch “a good all round back stretch.”
2. Forearms “a great stretch after a windy day as the forearms do a lot of gripping work especially when pumping downwind.”

Michael Blackburn
1. Hip Flexor “This is probably the most important stretch for any sailor who hikes.”
2. Lower back “Another great one to stretch the lower back after a day spent hiking.”

My Own Favorite Stretches for Sailors

Here are my two favorite stretches for any position on any type of boat. I like these because they are great “bang for your buck” stretches. Ie, they hit many muscle groups at one time and stretch in the opposite direction to many movements done during dinghy sailing.

1. Posterior chain stretch A great stretch for the calves, hamstrings, glutes and lower back.
2. Bench stretch Another great stretch for hamstrings, mid spine, chest and back muscles.

So there are just a few great stretches to help you recover from a day on the water. For more info on things to do to help your daily recovery see Daily Sailing Regatta Plan . To finish, a quick a reminder about how to stretch:

• Do each stretch for 20-30 seconds on each side. No less.
• Repeat if you feel one side is tighter then repeat this side again.
• Hold to the point of approximately a feeling a stretch of 7-8 out of 10.
• Do not bounce or hold your breath. Breathe as normal.
• Keep good posture at all times.

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