Stretching after workouts is one of the most common things people do to try to help their body recover faster.
Whether they are doing it because they believe it makes them less sore or simply because it is something they have always done, stretching out for five to ten minutes at the end of a workout can seem like an easy way to reduce workout aches and pains.
Here’s the problem, though…
It doesn’t actually work.
In fact, a meta-analysis from 2025 by Zhang et. al found that stretching after working out creates non-significant effects on muscle soreness.
So if stretching isn’t useful at reducing muscle soreness, what can you do to help your body recover better?
Quite simply, stop stretching your muscles and start activating your muscles, specifically through light isometric exercises and Muscle Activation Techniques®.
Here’s a basic how-to:
1. Whatever areas of your body you just worked, choose two to six motions to do light isometric exercises for.
For example, if you worked your legs, consider doing isometric exercises for 1. Lifting your leg forward, 2. Lifting your leg back, 3. Sliding your leg in, 4. Sliding your leg out, 5. Bending your knee, 6. Straightening your knee.
2. Whichever motion you are doing, move slowly as far as you comfortably can into that motion and then hold that end position for five seconds.
3. Rest and return to the starting position, then repeat for a total of three sets.
4. Do one limb / side of your body at a time, focusing on making a mind-muscle connection and squeezing lightly while you are holding the isometric contraction.
What this will do:
When you workout, it is easy for your muscles and brain to stop communicating with each other, especially if you are working out too intensely (like with sports, group classes, or any type of intense workout) or trying to use a lot of motion (like in yoga).
This causes your muscles to not work properly, leading to other muscles having to compensate and tighten up.
If it goes on for too long, it can start to create pain throughout your body.
These light isometric exercises can help to reestablish the communication between your brain and your muscles, allowing your muscles to work properly again.
As a result, you will have less need to compensate, your muscles won’t be as tight, and you will be less likely to have pain and soreness.
Sometimes, though, your muscles need more than just a little kickstart to get them communicating with your brain again.
This is where Muscle Activation Techniques®, or MAT, comes into play.
MAT specifically helps to restore the communication between your brain and your muscles, activating muscle by muscle through your body.
This specific attention given to each muscle is a game changer for performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
Not only will MAT help tune up the exact muscles that are needing extra work, the MAT process will help return your body to more of a parasympathetic state, allowing your entire system to recover and return to baseline faster.
Additionally, you will be able to go into your next workout with a full set of high-performing muscles, so you can push yourself harder with minimal risk for injury.
Stretching seems like an easy way to help your body recover from your workouts, but the truth is that it doesn’t work in the ways we are often told.
Stop trying to stretch your muscles and instead focus on activating your muscles through light isometric exercises and Muscle Activation Techniques® if you truly want your muscles and body to recover faster.
If you would like to experience MAT for yourself, we would love to see you at our studio, Muscle Activation Schaumburg, in Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we have been trained in the highest levels of MAT–including MATRx, MATRx2, MATRx Stim, MAT Athlete, and MAT Athlete2–and are the most highly-trained practitioners in the Chicagoland area.
To try out Muscle Activation Techniques® for yourself, click here to schedule your initial consultation and assessment.
We can’t wait to see you on our MAT table soon!
In strength and health,
Julie & Charlie
