Do You Really Need to Stretch?

Stretching has become somewhat controversial, but it shouldn't be

A good stretch can go a long way to keeping muscles relaxed and ready to recover. Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

You’re often told that before and after exercise, you should stretch, but why?

Sometimes, you’re on a time crunch and simply don’t have time to stretch, so you get in the gym, go through your workout, and head out. Maybe you feel fine after and think you don’t need to stretch. So, the question remains, do you really need to stretch?