{"id":55539,"date":"2017-01-23T07:15:32","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T12:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=55539"},"modified":"2017-01-26T12:49:29","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T17:49:29","slug":"dynamic-stretching-guide-warm-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/dynamic-stretching-guide-warm-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Stretching All Wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dynamic
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now, you\u2019ve probably heard you should ditch static stretching \u2014 those 10- to 30-second stretches \u2014 before breaking a sweat. But the science behind why, and what you should be doing instead, might not be so obvious. As you gear up for your next gym session, it\u2019s time to bone up on the best ways to ease in and out of your workout for optimal results.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 6 Most Satisfying Stretches You\u2019re Not Doing<\/a><\/p>\n

The Case Against Static Stretching Pre-Workout<\/h2>\n

In the past few years, fitness professionals have started to warn against static stretching pre-workout. The reason? Over-stretching your muscles before you put them to work may hinder muscle strength<\/a> and performance. While there\u2019s still some conflicting science, most experts agree that longer holds are best left for the after portion of your routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cStatic stretches don\u2019t prepare the body for the activity and demands that you\u2019re going to place on it during exercise,\u201d says Jason D\u2019Amelio, certified athletic trainer and owner of Total Athletic Performance Training in New York City. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking to achieve optimal results for your performance, then you need to specifically focus on pre-workout activities that will increase range of motion and the mobility of joints<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an alternative, studies<\/a> say foam rolling could help prep your body for activity. That’s because it loosens up your fascia (the layer of tissue that wraps around your muscles and organs), allowing you to move more freely. Another strong substitute for static holds: Dynamic stretching<\/a>, done\u00a0right before your kick your exercise into high gear. In a perfect world, you\u2019d start with the foam roller, follow it up with swift, active stretches and then jump into your workout. Here\u2019s how to nail the more dynamic movements.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Foam Rolling Moves You Aren\u2019t Doing (But Should)<\/a><\/p>\n

Dynamic Stretching: Your Best Warm-Up Tool<\/h2>\n

Dynamic stretching fires up your muscles and joints, getting them ready for the work ahead. \u201cIt really stimulates the neuromuscular system and increases blood flow to the muscles,\u201d says D\u2019Amelio.<\/p>\n

Some dynamic stretches include side and reverse lunges<\/a>, toy soldier walks, walk outs and hip circles. But the real key is mimicking the movement patterns you\u2019ll be using in your workout. For example, lunges and squats get your glutes, quads and hamstrings ready for a run while jumping jacks might prep you for plyometrics. (Check out this dynamic warm-up<\/a> for more ideas.)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number one focus should be good, quality movements,\u201d says D\u2019Amelio. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to rush it, in that you\u2019re not going through the full range of motion, but you don\u2019t want to go slow enough that it becomes more static. You should feel your temperature rise.\u201d Aim for at least five minutes for your active warm-up. Ten\u00a0to 15 minutes is even better if you\u2019ve got the time.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Reasons You\u2019re Stretching All Wrong (And How to Fix It)<\/a><\/p>\n

Other Approaches to Active Stretching<\/h2>\n

Some experts have their own variations on an active warm-up, too. Nic Bartolotta, physical therapist and chief clinical officer\u00a0of Rolflex<\/a>, likes to focus the attention on eccentric movement, or the downward phase of an exercise. Known as dynamic contraction technique<\/a>, you first work the muscle to fatigue in the concentric or upward phase. That might mean standing up from a low lunge or a squat. You focus on this concentric action until you feel a burn in the muscle. Then, after pausing in the contracted position for a few seconds, you\u2019ll slowly move the muscle through the eccentric (downward) motion.<\/p>\n

Take a typical hip flexor stretch<\/a> as an example. Bartolotta explains that most people will get in a lunge position, with their back knee on the ground. They push their hips forward until they feel a stretch or discomfort in the back leg\u2019s hip flexor. \u201cBut unless you fire up the hip flexor first, it\u2019s not going to stay active during the stretch,” so you’re not loosening up the muscle effectively, Bartolotta explains.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Everyday Tasks That Reveal Low Mobility<\/a><\/p>\n

Following Bartolotta\u2019s protocol, you would instead move from a low lunge to a staggered standing position until you feel the\u00a0muscle burn<\/a>. Then, pause at the top before slowly lowering back down to stretch the hip. Do this for two to three reps to really unlock and lengthen the muscle fibers. Because you focus on the slow, eccentric stretch after working the muscle to fatigue, \u201cyou\u2019re keeping the muscle under tension, but it\u2019s getting longer. That\u2019s<\/em> the secret sauce to active stretching,\u201d Barolotta says.<\/p>\n

This type of stretching falls in line with a principle known as reciprocal inhibition. When you activate or contract a muscle (say, the hamstring of your back leg in the lunge), the antagonist muscle (in the case of a lunge, the quad and hip flexors of your back leg) can relax and stretch.<\/p>\n

Work dynamic contraction technique into a few exercises, like the lunge or calf raises, to\u00a0help\u00a0increase your mobility and maintain proper body alignment. Then you’re ready to push through a solid workout.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15 Stretches You Should Do Every Damn Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Static Stretching: Your Post-Workout Rx<\/h2>\n

Even though you might want to pass on static stretching before<\/em> a workout, that doesn\u2019t mean you should give it up altogether. There\u2019s still a case<\/a> for holding your stretches for at least 10 seconds and up to 30 seconds post-workout. This helps improve your range of motion and reduces stiffness. Doing so when your body is warm can also improve the safety and effectiveness of this type of stretching. Aim to cool down with static stretches for at least five minutes post exercise. And if you\u2019re in a group fitness class, that means not skipping out early at the end!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prep your body to push its limits with our guide to pre-workout stretches. With dynamic stretching, you\u2019ll never resort to static holds in a warm-up again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":55543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6,14],"tags":[289,138,145,341,343,143,100],"class_list":["post-55539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-pre-workout","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-warm-up","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}