A warmup before a workout is essential. It gets the blood pumping and the muscles primed for action. One of the single biggest mistakes people make when they jump into a workout, exercise, or any physical activity is skipping the before and after stretching routines. Or they do a shortened routine. They’re eager to get into their workout. While eagerness is always good, don’t skip the stretch! Stretching can help prevent injury and can help you get more out of your workout. Instead, put this enthusiasm toward a more efficient stretch routine. Here are a few quick tips to up your stretch game.
When You Should Focus on Static Stretching
There are different types of stretches. For example, there’s the static warmup and the dynamic warmup. Each type nets you different results. A static stretch focuses your body movement on lengthening muscle tissue in 30-second intervals. The goal with these kinds of stretches is to release tension from the muscle, and they should be used during your cooldown, not your warmup. The process helps reduce or prevent injury to the muscle after it’s been working. They’re simple and don’t take a lot of time, and they can be quite relaxing after hard activity. A few examples include the hamstring stretch, back stretch, shoulder stretch, and quad stretch. As these examples suggest, they target specific muscles or muscle groups. Static stretches are ideal when you’re doing a more targeted workout and putting your energy into specific parts of the body. If you’re doing bicep curls, stretching muscles through your upper body is a must.
When You Should Focus on Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretches are more involved, but they’re vital for your warmup routine before a workout, especially if you’re planning to move a lot. They’re also great when you’re planning a more intense workout. Unlike static stretches, they involve more motion. Dynamic stretches include lunges and trunk rotations, and they also include swimming and jogging (in 5 to 10-minute intervals). While dynamic stretches can really get the blood pumping, they’re typically low intensity. They prime the muscles and surrounding tissue for serious movement. If you’re getting ready for athletic activity like a sport, dynamic stretches are a must. But they’re also ideal ahead of any workout. If you’re planning an hour or two at the gym, running through different pieces of equipment and routines, you’ll get a lot out of dynamic stretching. But even if you’re doing a shorter workout, dynamic stretches are a must. Throw on your gym gloves, spend 15-20 minutes stretching, then jump into your workout!
Why Stretch Both Before and After a Workout?
Post-workout stretches are just as important as pre-workout stretches. Your body needs different things when warming up and cooling down. Whether you’re building muscle or training, your goal is to give your body the greatest advantage. As soon as your workout or activity comes to an end, hit another round of stretches. Static stretches are great for the initial cooldown. They ease your muscles out of activity. You’re not hyper-focused on getting blood flowing and muscles primed, but you still want to do what you can to prevent injury. This is also time to double down on hydration. It’s important to hydrate during a workout, but sometimes it’s just not a part of the rhythm. Keep extra water bottles in your gym duffle bag to ensure you have hydration ready to go.
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