Use proper pre-exercise stretch type
DEAR DOCTOR K: I’ve been running for years and have always stretched before my morning run. Now I hear that I shouldn’t stretch first. Why not?
DEAR READER: You should stretch before your run – but perhaps not the types of stretches you’ve been doing.
Static stretches are what most people have traditionally done, both before and after exercise. Static stretches involve adopting and holding a position that stretches a muscle or group of muscles. The purpose is to encourage muscles to relax, which then allows them to be stretched a little longer. Static stretching promotes flexibility.
However, experts now believe that static stretching before exercising does not improve athletic performance. Indeed, it can actually undercut strength and power, possibly by affecting the ability of the muscles to store and swiftly release energy.
Exercises that require explosive muscular activity – like sprinting, or dunking a basketball – seem to be compromised by static stretches before exercise. So, generally speaking, it’s best to do static stretches after exercise or at a separate time entirely.
The best stretches to get you ready for exercise are dynamic stretches, which typically take specific muscles and joints through a full range of motion. They often mimic a sports motion. A golf swing without a club in your hands is an example of a dynamic stretch.
Dynamic stretches increase the range of motion at the joints. They help warm up the body, pumping more blood and oxygen to the muscles. They loosen up the muscles, preparing them for more intense use.
Stretching is as valuable as ever when exercising. It’s just that recent studies of human physiology have taught us that dynamic stretching is better before exercise and static stretching is better after it.