Dynamic Warm Up vs. Static Stretching: Are you using them correctly?
Stretching has been a topic of interest for years and there are many conflicting views on how to best utilize this form of exercise. The goal of this blog is to explain the main differences between dynamic warm ups and static stretching, and to teach you how to incorporate them appropriately into your exercise routine. It is important to keep in mind that each person’s goals are different and the types of stretches and warm ups they choose will be specific to each.
In simple terms, “static” means stationary or holding the same position for a period of time. Static stretching is often used to decrease soreness or stiffness in an area of your body, increase range of motion in a joint and flexibility in a muscle. There is conflicting information when stretching a painful body part, as sometimes stretching a tissue that does not want to be stretched can do more harm than good. The best advice here is if you are stretching for comfort and pain relief, it should not hurt!
A static stretch that comes to mind is one of the original hamstring stretches where you lift your leg up onto an elevated surface, bend over and feel a pull under on the backside of your leg. There are many other static stretches that target different joints and muscles in your body, but why are we doing them? Mostly because it tends to feel good! For example, if you have been sitting at a desk all day in a slouched position, your body is probably craving movement in the opposite direction. So, standing in a doorway to stretch your pectoralis muscles and get some extension in your spine will tend to feel great after sitting all day.
In summary, static stretching can be used for short term pain relief, improving range of motion in a joint, and flexibility in a muscle. But what static stretching will NOT do is help you prepare to run a mile, workout at the gym or even go for a walk. That is what a DYNAMIC warm up is for.
A dynamic warm up is the act of MOVING a joint through various ranges of motion. Dynamic warm ups are used to prepare your body for a specific activity or event. It involves whole body movements completed in repetitions compared to a stationary position that is held for a duration of time. Examples of a dynamic warm up include walking knee hugs and standing trunk twists.
Why are dynamic warm ups important for injury prevention?
Increased circulation through your body
Increased muscle temperature
Improved mental preparedness for movement or activity.
It is important to note that a runner's dynamic warm up may look very different from a golfer's warm up or a gymnast's warm up. The dynamic warm up should resemble the activity you are about to do, in order to prevent an injury from happening.
If you would like to learn a very SPECIFIC warm up routine for your body and your favorite activities give us a call today to schedule a consultation! We can get your body moving better and smoother while also preventing injuries.