Should I Stretch Before a Workout?

Flexible muscles allow your joints to move through a full range of motion. Having flexible muscles improves daily performance and balance making tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Your muscle's ability to shorten and lengthen quickly in a full range of motion will also aid in preventing injury and increasing sport performance.

There are several different types stretching techniques, each with it's own benefits. Most often people use a stretching technique called static stretching as the warm-up for their exercise program. Static stretching involves reaching to a point of tension and holding the stretch for an extended period of time while the body is at rest.

In the last few years, several studies have found static stretching before a workout or playing a sport can make you slower and weaker. While static stretching may not be recommended before an activity, it is very effective in increasing flexibility after an activity. After activity, static stretching takes advantage of the warm, pliable muscles and connective tissue, and lengthens muscle fibers. Over time, post-activity stretching has been found to improve all-around joint range of motion.

One the other hand, stretching for a warm-up should do two things: loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion, and literally warm up the body. A well-designed warm-up starts by increasing body heat and blood flow. Dynamic stretching involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. This is the stretching technique that should be used as a warm-up to increase power, flexibility and range of motion for performance.