For as long as I can remember, I have been told to stretch before exercising. However, the latest research done on preworkout routines may suggest otherwise.
Recent articles published by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) suggest that static stretching prior to a work out may not prevent injuries and can actually decrease strength and speed by over 5%. For those of you that aren't familiar with static stretching, that is when you stretch a muscle while the body is at rest. There are a number of stretches that can be performed and they are usually held between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
Before I continue any further, I want to point out that this article is not aimed at bashing stretching. Improving flexibility and range of motion in joints is a fundamental aspect of your health and fitness levels. I am here to warn that static stretching before working out can hinder performance and possibly lead to acute muscle injuries.
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So how do you go about warming up for exercise the right way?
There are two key aspects to a warm up. First and foremost, the warm up should be gradual and it should engage the entire body. Going for a brisk walk or doing jumping jacks are effective ways to warm the body. Second, you need to incorporate SMR (Self Myofascial Release), or foam rolling. Muscles can be full of scar tissue and knots and while stretching can increase the length of the muscle, SMR breaks down tiny muscle fibers and relaxes the muscle. The "rope" analogy is perfect for explaining this. Think of knots in a muscle as knots in a rope. If you pull on a rope with a knot in it (stretch a muscle that has not been relaxed by a foam roller), the knot tightens. This is not what you want. You must first break down the tense muscle fibers (remove the knot), in order to ensure that the muscle is ready for activity. Once the tension in the muscle is eased, we can safely and effectively begin to workout.
