title: [Current trends in the effects of stretching: application to physical exercise in the workplace].
abstract: A review of the Survey on the State of Employees' Health by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2008) shows that the most commonly implemented aspect as an activity of worksite health promotion is "Health counseling", and the second is "Workplace physical exercise." Physical exercise, "Taiso", is acceptable and sustainable for workers, as it is easy to do in a group or alone. Various modes of stretching are implemented for workplace physical exercise. However, articles suggesting negative or contradictory effects of stretching have increased in recent years. Several review articles have revealed that static stretching may induce impairments of muscle power performance and no stretching will prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. There are various aims of workplace physical exercise, so we have to consider the situational method when we apply stretching to occupational health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Development, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamato
mesh_terms: D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises / Q000639:trends*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D017132:Workplace