Stretching right before sports or workouts might make your muscles weaker for a short time, especially when it comes to strength.

Stretching before sports might help prevent muscle strains in athletes, but we’re not totally sure yet because the research isn’t clear or strong enough.

Stretching after exercise probably doesn't help healthy adults perform better right after, and won't boost things like how high you can jump or how fast you can sprint.

Stretching before you work out probably doesn't help prevent long-term injuries from repetitive motion, like runner's knee or tennis elbow.

Stretching right after exercise probably doesn’t help you become more flexible right away, at least in healthy adults. Even though people often stretch to improve flexibility, it might not do much if it’s too short or not intense enough.

Both static stretching and traditional weightlifting can build muscle and strength, but lifting weights gets you better results in less time. Because of this, weightlifting is generally recommended for most people, while stretching is better suited for those who can't handle heavy weights.