With every type of physical activity, the muscles in our bodies need to ease into moving consistently. Without warming up and being told to go from rest to full throttle, muscles, tendons, and ligaments can risk becoming strained or injured.
To keep your body in the best shape possible, it is important to know how to stretch well. When our muscles, tendons, and ligaments are properly stretched out, we are able to move more freely, risk fewer injuries, and stay moving longer.
Christopher Brown, MD, Medical Director of Sports Medicine for Rochester Regional Health, shares some of the ways to stretch so you can be at your best for any activity or sport.
Types of stretching
There are two main types of stretching that you can perform before and after exercising: static and dynamic.
Static stretching
Static stretches are done while sitting or standing still. Many people learned these traditional stretches in school physical education classes (i.e., the “figure four” and “butterfly” stretches).
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretches involve much more movement and are able to get more muscles and tendons moving before the start of an activity. These stretches are performed for 15-30 seconds each and focus on the muscle groups for the type of activity or sport you are doing. For example, you might do some lunges or leg swings before running, do some easy squats or arm circles for volleyball, or swim some warmup laps before swimming.
“Both stretching types are important components of staying healthy and injury free when used appropriately,” Dr. Brown said. “Dynamic stretches are best done before a workout as they really prime the muscles you are going to use during a sport or activity by simultaneously increasing blood flow, flexibility, and range of motion. Static stretches are best done after a workout or performance during the cooldown period.”
Stretching before and after
To help prevent injury, you should be stretching both before you start your activity and after you finish – dynamic stretches before and static stretches after.
Dynamic stretching before you exercise will help to boost your heart rate, get your lungs ready, increase how fluid your joints are, and help to prevent injury. Try to do dynamic stretches for 5-10 minutes, even if it’s simply walking.
Static stretching after a game, run, or activity is a good way to cool down. These stretches can help to lower your heart rate, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of becoming lightheaded. Incorporating static stretches for about 5-10 minutes will bring your back to a more relaxed state.
Best ways to stretch
During your warmup and cool down stretching, keep these suggestions in mind:
- Stop if you feel pain
- Avoid bouncing, which can strain your muscles
- Stretch both sides of your body equally
- Breathe through your stretches
“Good exercise starts with a good warm-up and ends with a good recovery,” Dr. Brown said. “When you combine an appropriate stretching routine consistently to your workout or sport, your body will recover better and are more likely to stay injury free.”
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