The Benefits of Stretching: How Stretching Before or After a Workout Can Improve Performance

The Benefits of Stretching: How Stretching Before or After a Workout Can Improve Performance

Why Do We Stretch?

Stretching isn't just for yogis and dancers. It can make a huge difference in your workout, too!

How? Studies show that stretching before or after your workout can improve performance.

Why? Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles, which helps remove metabolic waste products like lactic acid; it also decreases muscle stiffness and soreness. Plus, studies have shown that people who stretch are less likely to suffer from muscle strains, sprains, or tears during their workouts!

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of stretching, and find out if it's better to stretch before or after exercising.

What stretching before and after a workout can do for your body

It is important to stretch before and after your workout in order to prepare the body for exercise. Pre-workout mobility will increase core body temperature and stimulate increased blood flow throughout the body, which increases oxygen in cells and decreases the risk of injury.

Benefits of Stretching Before Working Out

Stretching before a workout is important because it helps to prevent injuries.

Stretching before exercise allows the muscle fibers to lengthen and become more flexible, which decreases the risk of injury during physical activity. In addition, stretching may also help improve performance by increasing blood flow throughout the body and decreasing tension in muscles.

Benefits of Stretching After Working Out

One of the most common questions people ask at the gym is, “Should I stretch after working out?” One reason people might ask this question is that they have heard that stretching before a workout can help to prevent injury.

But what about stretching afterward? Does it serve any purpose or not? The answer may surprise you.

A study conducted by McMaster University in Ontario found that post-workout stretching improves muscle performance and reduces delayed onset muscle soreness for up to 48 hours following strenuous physical activity. In other words, if you want your muscles to feel better tomorrow, it pays off to spend a few minutes doing some stretches tonight.

Dynamic Vs. Static Stretches

Dynamic Stretches

Dynamic stretches are movements that mimic the motions of your sport or activity, such as walking lunges and jumping jacks.

The benefits of dynamic stretching include:

  • Increased circulation to muscles, which can help prevent injuries like pulled hamstrings or Achilles tendons by increasing the temperature at which they function
  • Reduced risk of injury
  • Improved performance during sports activities

Static Stretches

Static stretches are exercises where you hold your body in a certain position for a period of time, such as touching your toes or sitting on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.

The benefits of static stretching include:

  • Improved flexibility and range-of-motion
  • Increased blood flow to muscles and joints
  • Decreased muscle soreness after exercise
  • Relaxation

Tips on Proper Stretching Techniques

  • Stretch before and after a workout for the best results
  • Make sure to stretch all major muscle groups, including your back, legs, hips, arms and shoulders
  • Hold stretches for a minimum of 30 seconds each.
  • Don't bounce while stretching - this can lead to injury or decreased effectiveness of the stretch
  • Be mindful of how you're breathing during a stretch - exhale when you extend your body and inhale when you return to starting position
  • Focus on your breath. Make sure that it is easy. Chances are if you are struggling with your breath, you are too deep into the stretch.
  • Deep breaths aid in relaxation and the potential to increase the muscles ability to lengthen.
  • Use props like chairs or walls if needed in order to get deeper into stretches

Know Your Limits

Stretching is a great way to warm up before exercise or sports activities but it's important to check with your doctor before you start stretching if you have any injuries, medical conditions, or other risk factors.

Conclusion

If you want to improve your overall fitness and performance, stretching can be a great tool. In this blog post, we’ve discussed the benefits of stretching before or after a workout. We hope that by reading this article, you will have found some new ways to incorporate stretches into your daily routine for better health and more flexibility in your muscles.

For more information on stretching, we suggest you meet with one of our certified personal trainers. LEARN MORE