Personalize Stretching for Your Sport!

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to preventing injury or sore muscles! With warm weather comes increased activity for amateur athletes and weekend warriors of all ages. Being sore does not have to be part of it if you know what you are doing. It is time drop some knowledge on you my friends.

To exercise with less chance of injury or soreness, Dynamic and Static Stretching should be part of your program…and personalized! Both types of stretching are important, but need to be done at the correct time for the sport you are involved in and according to your level of fitness! The following is a little help for athletes training on their own!

Pre-workout: Dynamic stretching
Dynamic movement stretches are designed to take a joint or a muscle through a challenging and repetitive motion, moving a body part further with each repetition. Reducing hip stiffness prior to starting a run or ride will reduce the risk of the dreaded overuse injury. Dynamic stretching is ideal prior to exercise to prepare the joints for movement and muscles for optimal activation.

Post Workout: Static stretching
Static sustained stretches are designed to hold a position for a joint or a muscle that is minimally challenging. The focus is on relaxing the body part being stretched and letting it go further on its own. Research suggests that holding the position for 30–60 seconds will increase flexibility in the tissue; conversely, done prior to activity, static stretching may actually inhibit the muscle’s ability to fire.

Just as important as stretching is learning how to do it and then train properly; let me help you!