Sometimes, I arrive at my class 15 minutes early. This is because I arrive at my class early instead of waiting at the last minute to avoid getting the worst possible spot. While I usually foam roll before leaving my house, I arrive to class with a stiff and sore body.

Since I have a few extra minutes to spare, I try to get some stretching before my class. Although this is a good idea, trainers are unsure.

While it’s important to strengthen your muscles, it’s also important to improve your flexibility and length. Doing so will allow you to move with ease and avoid injury.

The Benefits of Stretching

Besides strengthening your muscles, stretching can also help improve mobility in those areas of the body that you’re moving. It can additionally help you readjust your muscles after exercising.

To Stretch Before or After a Workout

Whether or not to stretch before or after vigorous exercise is one of the most debated in the fitness world. Here, we’ll talk about all the necessary details about this practice.

Stretching Before

Although stretching before a workout is generally a good idea, you should avoid stretching the cold muscles as they are more prone to tearing. Doing so could also lead to injury. Before you start working out, ensure your body is warmed up. For instance, if you’re going to be moving from a desk job to a sprint, make sure that your body is ready for the change.

Dynamic Stretching

A dynamic stretch is a type of exercise involving taking the body through movements you’ll be performing during your exercise. This type of stretching can help improve the range of motion and activate the muscles that you’re working with. You can add this type of exercise to your warmup to increase the intensity of your exercise and improve your performance.

Stretching After

After you’ve completed the sequence, you’ll want to stretch for a few minutes following your exercise. Although it sounds like a lot, doing a few minutes of stretching will add up to a lot and will help your body recover quickly. 

Static Stretching

When you think of static stretches, the first thing that comes to mind is the traditional hamstring toe-touch stretch. Performing this type of stretch after vigorous exercise can help decrease soreness and improve flexibility.

For optimal results, focus on the larger muscles groups in your body, such as the back, chest, and quads. These are all likely to need attention no matter what type of exercise you’re doing. Performing static stretches can help improve recovery and lengthen the muscles back to their optimal state.