Stretching is essentially a tool for influencing the muscle–tendon unit and joint range. The most consistent and proven outcome is improved flexibility/ROM, which can support better movement quality, posture comfort, and the ability to reach sport-specific positions without feeling “stuck.”

A large systematic review and meta-analysis on chronic static stretching found moderate-to-large flexibility improvements, and it also reported small positive effects on strength and power over time—especially in sedentary and older people, suggesting stretching can act like a mild training stimulus when done consistently. In other words, stretching is not only “loosening up,” but can be a small but real input into physical capacity when practiced regularly.

At the same time, stretching is often overpromised for things like soreness and injury prevention. A Cochrane review found that stretching before or after exercise does not produce clinically important reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in healthy adults; even when statistical differences appear, they tend to be small. Similarly, a systematic review on stretching and injury risk concluded there was not sufficient evidence to confidently endorse stretching as a standalone injury-prevention tool for athletes.

This does not mean stretching is useless—it means stretching should be positioned correctly: strong evidence for flexibility and movement comfort, weaker evidence for preventing soreness, and uncertain evidence for injury reduction when stretching is used alone without a broader warm-up and training plan.

Where timing becomes critical is performance. A review on the acute effects of static stretching explains that short-duration static stretching (≤60 seconds per muscle group) tends to cause only trivial performance reductions (around 1–2%), especially when embedded inside a complete warm-up with aerobic activity and dynamic drills.

However, longer static holds (>60 seconds per muscle group) can produce more meaningful temporary declines in strength and power, which matters for sprinting, jumping, heavy lifting, or any explosive sport. That is why modern best practice usually looks like: dynamic warm-up before intense performance, and longer static stretching later (after training or as a separate mobility session).

Finally, stretching “gadgets” are everywhere, but only some have evidence. Foam rolling is one of the better-studied recovery tools; a recent systematic review reported that foam rolling can support recovery outcomes such as ROM and perceived soreness, and generally does not show definitive negative performance effects. Many other devices (stretch straps, slant boards, posture stretch tools) can be useful as helpers because they standardize position and allow controlled intensity—but research tends to support the method and dose more than any single branded gadget.