The benefits of stretching

Lots of people come in and say “I know I should stretch more” - and stretching your body feels great, but do you know the best way to stretch for you?

Static stretching is when you hold a single stretch position for a prolonged period, dynamic stretching is when you move in and out of positions of stretch. The actual evidence behind stretching isn’t rock solid, but this is what it looks like: 

Static stretching:  

Small strength benefits, temporary improvement in flexibility, temporary reduction in power output 

Dynamic stretching: 

Temporary improvement in muscle coordination, temporary improvement in flexibility, injury prevention 

So, why are you stretching? 

Warm up? Focus on dynamic stretching specific to the activity within a complete warm up.

Injury prevention? Focus on specific dynamic stretching and strengthening.

Improved flexibility? Focus on dynamic stretching and strengthening through a full range of motion.

You like it? You do you. 😊  

Overall, any movement is good for you. In most cases, dynamic stretching is more effective than static, but it really depends why you’re stretching.

If you need guidance with stretching, give us a call, we’d love to help 🙂