The Truth About Stretching & How To Do It Right
Stretching. It should go hand in hand with any time of physical activity. It’s kind of like how flossing is to brushing your teeth. You know you’re supposed to do it, but do you actually take the time to do it (and do it right)?
If you’re making the time to workout, you also need to warm up and cool down your muscles properly. Whether you’re running or lifting weights, you should be stretching:
Before your workout
After your workout
On rest days
Believe it or not, the particular type of stretching you’re doing and when you’re doing it matters, too. Have you ever heard of the terms “dynamic stretching” or “static stretching” and just weren’t sure what the difference was or where they fit into your workout?
If you’re someone who constantly skips stretching, or even manages to stretch a little but still feels sore, this post is for you. Keep reading to understand:
The many benefits of stretching
The different types of stretching (dynamic stretching vs static stretching)
The importance of self myofacial release
The Benefits of Stretching
Strength training is super popular right now (and it’s about damn time!) but it’s also time to make stretching sexy again! Lifting and stretching go hand and hand, and you’ll actually see a lot of benefits if you pair the two together, like:
Increased range of motion (just to name a few!)
I know you probably already have trouble fitting your workouts into your daily life, but if you don’t stretch properly, you’re going to have bigger problems like joint pain or muscle soreness. And when you’re in pain or sore, you’re less likely to keeping your body moving. I’ve talked to so many women who stop their fitness routines before they really get started because of tight, sore muscles.
I’m not saying you have to spend 20-30 minutes stretching before and after your workouts, but by knowing what type of stretching to do and when to do them, you can reduce your time stretching and focus more on the stuff that matters to you.
how to stretch - A PErsonal Trainer’s Guide
Did you play team sports growing up where you would go through stretches together before a practice or a game? It was normally a long process where you focused more on goofing off with your teammates while going through the motions rather than actually connecting your mind to your muscles.
Stretching now as a former athlete is a chance to be more mindful and really get into your muscles before or after a workout. There are 3 main types of stretches that I want you to work into your fitness routine:
Dynmic Stretching
Static Stretching
Myofacial Release
What Is Dynamic Stretching?
Dynamic stretching is a type of stretching that uses controlled movement to gradually move your joints, ligaments, and muscles through their full range of motion.
The optimal time to do dynamic stretches is before your workouts as a warm-up. Dynamic stretching before workouts helps increase muscle temperature and decrease muscle stiffness. This type of stretching is a perfect warm up for weight lifting, sports, and even running. Dynamic stretching before running will help you feel better, run faster, and overall have a better running experience.
Some common dynamic stretches include leg swings, arm circles, and torso twists.
Dynamic Stretching for legs
Here’s a big stretching tip: You don’t have to do every dynamic stretch you know of before every workout. Focus on the areas you are going to train.
For example, if you’re headed off for a run, make sure you incorporate dynamic stretches like leg swings, side lunges, and modified deadlifts.
On the other hand, if you are going to work your upper body, skip the leg swings and go straight to arm circles, crossbody arm swings, and banded arm raises
How to do forward leg swings
Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and hold onto a wall, fence, couch - whatever you have!
Keep one leg stationary while you slowly swing the opposite leg forward and backward in a single, smooth and controlled movement
Repeat on the other side for desired number of reps
How to do Side Lunges
With both feet facing forward, take a wide step to the left
Bend the left knee as you send hips back and shift weight over right foot to drop into a side lunge. Make sure you keep your chest lifted!
Return to standing
Repeat for 30-ish seconds
Switch Sides
Repeat for the desired number of reps
How to do modified deadlifts
Stand on the right leg with right knee slightly bent and touch the left toes slightly behind the right leg on the floor for balance
Hinge at the hips like you’re doing a deadlift until your torso is parallel to the floor
Drive through the leg to stand up
Repeat for 30-ish seconds
Switch Sides
Repeat for the desired number of reps
Dynamic Stretching For Upper Body
So what should you do for your upper body when it comes to dynamic stretching? Some of my favorites (depending on the exercises you’re incorporating into your workout) include arm circles, resistance band bicep curls, and crossbody arm swings.
What Is Static Stretching and when to do it
The second main type of stretching is called static stretching. This is probably what comes to mind when you hear the word “stretch.”
Static stretching means holding a position to stretch muscles and connective tissues while they are at their greatest length while sitting, standing or lying still for about 15-45 seconds.
If you can’t tell from the differences in definition alone, static stretching differs from dynamic stretching because it is a hold rather than a movement. This means that if you’re comparing when to do dynamic stretching vs static stretching, dynamic stretches work great as a warm-up, while static stretches are better for cool downs.
Static stretches help your muscles cool-down and relax by increasing blood circulation and improving the way you feel after a workout.
Static Stretching Examples
As with dynamic stretches, make sure you are stretching the areas you worked in your training session.
Some basic upper body static stretches are things like overhead tricep stretches, bicep stretches, and cross body shoulder stretches.
For your lower body, focus on static stretches like toe touches, quad stretches, and calf stretches.
How To Do Self MyofaScial Release
As you can tell by making it this far, dynamic stretching and static stretching should only add a few minutes onto the beginning and end of your workout. Another stretching activity that you don’t want to skip over is self myofascial release.
Lesser known that the other two types of stretching I mentioned but equally as important, myofascial release is the process of reducing pain in the myofascial tissues that support your muscles through massage.
You could go see a massage therapist for this if you have the time and resources, but I prefer doing this on my own - sometimes with the help of some self myofascial release tools like a foam roller or massage gun. Whether you use your hands or a tool, the most important aspect of self-myofascial release is finding tight areas in your muscles and going back and forth over those areas to warm up the fascia, break up fibrous adhesions between the layers and restore soft-tissue extensibility.
I highly recommend working this type of stretching both before and after your workouts and just throughout your week, whenever you have some down time.
Wrapping things Up
At the end of the day, stretching (just like working out!) is a form of self-care. When you make excuses instead of stretching, you’re not hurting your coach or teammates anymore. The only person you’re really hurting is yourself.
Ready to start prioritizing your health and making time for your overall wellness again? It’s OK if you need someone to hold you accountable and show you the way. That’s what I’m here for!
Apply for Liv Your Fit 1:1 Coaching today to see how we can improve your fitness and nutrition habits so that you don’t have to worry about “fitting in” self-care activities anymore - they just become part of your routine. Click the link below to fill out the application to see if we’re a good fit. I can’t wait to learn more about you and your goals!
