When is the Best Time to Stretch?
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While talking with the salesperson at the kickboxing gym I recently visited, one thing that he mentioned that made sense was that many people stretch at the wrong time. I have always been under the impression that stretching before any workout is good for you. In general it is, but the key question is: When is the best time to stretch? Stretching while your muscles are cold could lead to tearing and muscle strain. Cold muscles do not have sufficient blood supply and are not as flexible.
From what I have been hearing and reading, a better time to stretch is after a warm-up consisting of light exercises. A nice warm-up increases blood flow to your muscles making them more pliable. It is important to keep the stretching light to moderate as over-stretching can lead to injury as well.
Below is a video of Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training and TTMembers showing examples of warm-up exercises with Sydney Harbour as his background.
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Comments
Great points Mehdi. I found a good example below of dynamic stretches that can be done before a workout:
[...] a workout, others may say the benefits are best after a workout - who really knows when is the best time to stretch? Now a recent study says that stretching may not even prevent muscle soreness. I also believed that [...]
Dynamic stretches can be done pre workout as warmup. Static stretches should be done post workout to increase flexibility or realign posture if needed.
-Mehdi.