Are You Stretching Correctly?
We’ve all heard that you need to stretch before you exercise to prevent injury. Everyone knows that. Most people do it, but did you know that there are two types of stretching and you’re probably doing the wrong one?
Static Stretching
Static stretching is the kind most people do when they stretch. In this type of stretch, you initiate a stretch to the point of discomfort, then hold it. When the discomfort starts to subside you sink a little deeper into the stretch. This type of stretch is held for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Static stretching lengthens muscles, but also forces them to relax. This can cause joint instability and increase your chances of injury when your doing a workout or playing a sport.
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching is when you swing an arm or leg to the limit of its range of motion gently. A few examples of these stretches are lunges, arm circles and knee lifts.
Dynamic stretching increase flexibility and blood flow to the stretched area.
I’m not telling you to stop all static stretching. It’s good for you in the long run. Muscle flexibility is necessary for muscle health. While dynamic stretching gives you flexibility, it’s not as much flexibility as can be achieved with static stretching.
What I’m saying is that you should not do static stretching before workingout or playing sports. It takes the muscles about twenty minutes to recover from a static stretch and regain their normal strenght. So you should save the static stretching for after you exercise. Make it part of you cool down.
Dynamic stretching is the perfect preworkout activity. If you do dynamic stretches before workingout and static stretches after you’ll decrease your risk of injury.
This post is featured in The Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 68.
Photo by Tom@HK
