Did you know, a simple, regular stretching routine
can actually improve race times?
I'm a Paralympic tennis player for Australia.
I won a gold medal in Rio 2016 in the men's quad doubles.
The more flexible I am,
the less likely I am to get injured
because of the way that I serve and move my upper body
constantly being in the wheelchair and playing tennis.
And also it helps me with serve speed,
groundstroke speed,
and just being an all around better tennis player.
There was a match a couple of years ago
where I was serving the ball
at around 100 kilometers an hour.
And I knew by doing different stretches
and working on my flexibility and mobility,
that I could get some more pace on my serve.
And my serve actually went up 15 kilometers an hour.
One of my stretching routine
involves me using resistance bands,
broomsticks are a big one,
obviously so I can do some shoulder dislocation stuff
and just overall rotation and mobility and flexibility.
Heath was able to improve his serve speed
by using targeted stretching
to increase his shoulders' range of motion.
Targeted stretching is common amongst Olympians
of all disciplines.
Stretching not only increases your range of motion
but it also helps reduce the risk of injury
and helps maintain healthy muscles and tendons.
While Heath uses
advanced PNF stretching and resistance training
to focus on his arms and shoulders,
the most common stretches for the everyday athlete
are static and dynamic.
Static stretching involves
holding the stretch for 15 to 60 seconds,
while dynamic stretching targets certain muscle groups
that are best activated through movement.
Static stretching used to be encouraged before workouts
but research now shows
that it may actually hinder athletic performance.
Instead, it is recommended the athletes should warm up
with dynamic stretching,
enabling proper blood flow to the tissues,
and then recover with static stretching after exercise
to help target the blood flow to the specific muscle groups.
It is important to breathe while stretching,
this helps the oxygen get to your blood and muscles.
I used to do powerlifting.
The training was so different.
The reason you don't want massive muscles
when you're playing tennis
is because it really restricts your movement.
By being fit and having more flexibility,
it gives you a bigger range of motion
so you can do more on the tennis court.
Different sports require
stretching different muscles in different ways.
When Heath switched from bodybuilding to tennis,
he changed how he trained.
Weightlifters aim to increase muscle mass
by lifting weights.
For a tennis player like Heath,
more muscle mass does not equal more power.
The power of his serve is heavily influenced
by achieving a greater range of motion.
Runners and hurdlers rely on hip mobility,
so they focus on lower body stretching and flexibility.
Unlike a tennis player, runners require a stiffer upper body
to help maintain their posture.
I chase my dreams by being really dedicated
and just enjoying and loving what I do for a living.
Never give up, keep working as hard as you can
towards what you want to do.
Every athlete should stretch.
But as we found out, the optimal type of stretching
depends both on your body and the sport.
Find a new stretching routine that's right for you
and your sports.
And see if you can spot
any differences in your performance.