Stretching is an integral part of athletics, but is often the first thing that we cut out of our practices or exercise routines when we are trying to save time. Can you imagine trying to get faster and cutting out sprint work? Or, trying to get stronger but skipping your weight training?
What does stretching do for our bodies?
The purpose of stretching is to increase range of motion. Range of motion plays an important role in all athletic events as well as tasks that we need to do daily. There are lots of different types of stretching and all of them are important, but for now we’ll focus primarily on dynamic and static stretching.
Dynamic Stretching
Sometimes referred to as active movement or movement prep, dynamic stretching can increase your core body temperature before exercise, increase your range of motion before exercise, reduce risk of injury, and improve performance.
Dynamic stretching should be incorporated in warm-up prior to athletic practices/games, cardiovascular exercise, and weightlifting. It should be functional, mimicking the sport or exercise you are about to participate in. For example, do arm circles if you’re about to swim, or leg pendulums if you’re about to go on a long run.
What about after exercising? Should we use dynamic stretching then too?
The purpose of dynamic stretching is to increase range of motion while also increasing body temperature, so it plays an integral role in warming up prior to sport performance. After we finish our athletic event or practice, we usually do a “cool-down” to help our body adjust to “normal” gradually. Dynamic stretching achieves the opposite, so it should not be incorporated into your cool down.
Are there any other times we should avoid dynamic stretching?
Yes, after injury dynamic stretching should be avoided until your doctor, physical, therapist or athletic trainer tells you it is ok to resume dynamic stretching.
Static Stretching
Static stretching is exactly what it sounds like: stretching a muscle to near its furthest point and then holding it for 15 to 30 seconds.
When used correctly, static stretching can increase your range of motion, reduce risk of injury, improve performance, and help avoid muscular imbalance.
Static stretching should be incorporated into a good cool-down following participation in athletic practices/games, cardiovascular exercise, or weightlifting. It should incorporate multiple stretches each focused on a single muscle group. For example, a hurdler stretch for hamstrings or a butterfly stretch for groin muscles.
What about before exercising? Should we use static stretching then too?
Remember that before athletic participation, our goal is to increase our body temperature slowly. To achieve the goal of remaining warmed up, dynamic stretching is a better choice than static stretching.
Are there any other times we should avoid static stretching?
Yes! It is important to know that following injury, static stretching may be used as part of a rehab protocol. However, when engaging in static stretching on your own following injury, all stretching should be pain-free.
How does stretching make someone a better athlete?
Increasing range of motion can improve muscle imbalances associated with injury, therefore decreasing risk of injury and increasing mobility.
Stretching can also decrease pain. Static stretching following athletic activity can decrease the likelihood of experiencing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), and it helps decrease recovery time following a hard workout.