Not quite the first words you want out of your client's mouth before they crack on with an hour's session of HIIT and boxing.
Mind you, on reflection "Have you been stretching? You haven't been stretching, have you? You definitely haven't stretched, I can tell from your face" is probably not the best response either.
So, two lessons learned this week: don't neglect the stretch; a little bit of empathy can go a long way.
We all do it. You've got a window of opportunity to rattle through your workout, or pound out a run, and you want to make the most of it. At a push, you'll squeeze in an abs session at the end, but there's no way you can waste precious minutes stretching off those limbs. Anyway, it's fine; you'll do it during Game of Thrones tonight, or before bed, or whatever.
Well, at the risk of being a massive bore - a post-workout stretch should be the cherry on your session's cake. Pretty much always.
Whilst omitting the stretch before you begin exercise is fine (in fact, there's a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest that body swerving the pre-workout stretch is to be recommended*), those post-exercise extensions should be a routine stalwart.
Just to lay it on the line for you:
You miss the stretch, you miss out on the chance to increase your flexibility. The more flexible you are, the better your range of movement - and a good range is pretty critical for improving your A-Game over time.
No stretching is likely to lead to a Yoda-like hobble into the office tomorrow: take heed Luke; improve your posture, the humble stretch it will (when did you last hear a Jedi complain about short, tight, muscles?).
You don't do it, you increase the chance of injury - for the love of God, you've spent the last three months training for this run - don't go giving your Iliotibial band carte blanche to take you down now.
A cheeky wee stretch gets your blood pumping and moving - and better circulation can only mean good things for those nutrient-hungry muscles and joints.
Those stretchy, flexi, 10 minutes at the end are not just good for the body; they revitalise the mind and soul too, Maaan.
Moral of the story: Stretch. It. Out!
Acute effect of passive static stretching on lower-body strength in moderately trained men Gergley JC.From <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22692125>
Does pre-exercise static stretching inhibit maximal muscular performance? A meta-analytical review. Simic L1, Sarabon N,Markovic G. From <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22316148>
