Should stretching HURT?

Let's talk about the way you think about stretching. I hear far too many people say stretching "hurts" or "is painful". And while I understand the sentiment, it is important to categorize these feelings differently and try to understand them. Are you feeling discomfort because something is challenging you? Or are you feeling pain that you think may lead to injury? These are very different sensations, and it's important to pay attention to and understand what you're really feeling when you stretch.

While stretching, it should feel like you're stretching the muscles you're intending to stretch. (Doing a pike/forward fold? You should feel your hamstrings stretching, etc.) It shouldn't just hurt everywhere. But slight discomfort? Productive, yet challenging, sensations? Totally fine!

When I teach, I am constantly checking in with the student about where they feel the stretch/exercise, and how it feels. If the word "hurt" is uttered, I immediately stop and ask them to tell me what it feels like. For the most part, that was just the word that popped into their head at the time, and they just feel a very intense stretch/sensation. At that point I ask them to use different words to describe the sensation (not only for themselves, but also so I know that I’m not doing something that may cause damage).
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The language used during a stretching session is something that’s really important for students and coaches to be aware of. If you constantly talk about something feeing like torture, you’re either exaggerating, or doing something terribly wrong. But when you’re stretching, if something genuinely HURTS, that’s most likely your body telling you something is wrong. Use that time to ask yourself, is it just uncomfortable because the stretch is intense? Or is it truly painful? And if it’s truly painful, it might be time to rethink your approach or try a new method!

Be mindful in your training, and your body will thank you.