A 2015 study published in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that cricket fast bowlers with abdominal symmetry have higher incidences of low back pain than those who have abdominal muscle asymmetry. Sixteen of the 25 teenage cricket fast bowlers in South Africa participated in the study have
A 2025 study published in PLOS One examined how passive and active warm-up methods interact with stretching to improve flexibility and muscle performance. The researchers Hitier et al. examined a group of competitive athletes who completed three different warm-ups: An active warm-up involving cycling and submaximal muscle contractions, a passive
Confounding factors can cause some researchers to believe that there’s a direct cause-and-effect relationship in their studies. For example, if they were to examine whether taking a vitamin would increase an athlete’s stamina, there are likely other factors besides the vitamin that could influence their results. It could be sleep
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF, is a type of stretching that involves a muscle to repeatedly contract against resistance and then relaxed into a deeper stretch, using the nervous system to allow greater lengthening. In practice, a practitioner or partner takes a limb into a passive stretch. Then the athlete contracts
Ballistic stretching uses rapid movements and momentum to stretch a muscle beyond its normal range of motion. This type of stretching uses stretched muscles in a spring-like manner at a high velocity. Although I’ve played sports since age 5, I’ve never come across a coach, trainer, or physical therapist who
While stretching is often recommended by many fitness, sports, and rehab professionals, few could explain how it works and why. Traditional explanations often include “it lengthens your muscles” or “releases fascia.” However, research in the last 30-plus years has shown that stretching is less about mechanical properties and more about
For decades, stretching has been treated as a general prescription for something you’re supposed to do before and after exercise or whenever your body feels stiff or sore. Many fitness experts and manual therapists have recommended stretching as a way to prevent injury and improve flexibility. But how much of
Pain is an unpleasant sensation, but it isn’t always an indication that there’s tissue damage, disease, or abnormalities in your body. After all, there are many people who have shoulder “abnormalities” or leg length discrepancies with no pain and can function well. Some amputees have pain in their leg or
Part one of exercise and cancer highlights the evidence of what and how exercise can reduce the risk of cancer and the biological mechanisms behind exercise on cancer. Part two focuses on the psychological, social, and environmental factors that reduce the risk of some cancer and improve cancer survivors’ quality
A 15-year Canadian study of 889 patients with colon cancer found that those who exercised regularly had about a 25% lower risk of cancer recurrence and death over a five-year period than the control group who received health education. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, the
A 2021 systematic review of 14 trials (27,846 participants total) found a strong link between heavy backpack use and pain or musculoskeletal issues in teenagers, especially girls. Led by Dr. Nazila NeJhaddadgar from the Department of Health Promotion and Education at Ardabil University in Iran, the researchers wrote that some
A 2018 systematic review on children and teens with back pain found “no convincing evidence that aspects of schoolbag use increase the risk of back pain in children and adolescents.” Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study pooled 69 trials with a total of more than 72,600