All about Stretching

I've been writing a once a week post on a health topic that is often misunderstood or is currently popular and being discussed often online and in the media. Thus far I've written about sodium, calories, trans fat, the macronutrient fat, and ghrelin and leptin.


This week I'll be focusing on stretching. There is a lot of disparate information on whether or not stretching is important to an exercise routine, what kind of stretching to do before and after your workout, and how much stretching is necessary. 


Stretching is actually important to both the beginning and end of your exercise routine, but the type of stretching you should do at both ends of your workout are going to differ from one another because your body is at two different physical states at both of those times. At the beginning of your workout you should focus on dynamic stretching, while at the end it may be better to cool down with some simpler static stretches.


Dynamic stretches are active muscle movement that get the bodies heated up but they are not held for long periods of time. Something like light jogging is often used at the beginning of a workout as a dynamic stretch because it gets the body's temperature up, and the warmer your body is the looser the muscles will be. The looser your muscles are the less likely you are to tear or injure yourself during your workout. 


Some other basic dynamic stretching moves include jumping jacks, windmilling your arms, alternating bringing your knees to your chest, alternating toe touches, or other forms of light cardio. Most static stretching moves can be modified to become more dynamic as long as you are not holding the stretch for too long. 


The end of your workout is when many researchers have suggested that this would be the best time for static stretching to take place. Static stretching is often what first comes to mind when we think of stretching at all. The moves are slow and relaxed and you hold the positions for about twenty seconds or so before moving on to a new stretch. Static stretching at the end of your workout is thought to help with flexibility, and to prevent muscle soreness after intense exercise. 


Some basic static stretches include downward dog position, upward dog position, straddling your legs and reaching over to each foot, reaching forward for both your feet, and pushing your palm down your back to stretch your triceps. Holding the stretches for a good length of time and pushing your muscles until you feel the stretch, but not so far that it is painful, can help relieve tension in the muscles and cool down after a workout.


These two types of stretching are essential to having a balanced fitness routine. Incorporating both will help make your body stronger and more fit in the long run.