Dynamic Flexibility: The Ultimate Workout Warm-Up

Dynamic Flexibility is quite possibly the best workout warm-up that anyone can perform. When performed along with core work and cardio exercise, I can't think of a better way to keep the body healthy, balanced & ready for action. Yes, dynamic flexibility can help to prepare the body for greater challenge, increase athletic performance and, if performed regularly, it can greatly reduce the chances of injury.

What is dynamic flexibility?Dynamic flexibility is the repeating of lengthening and shortening actions along the same movement pathway for several repetitions. It is also often referred to as range of motion exercises. Dynamic flexibility can include mimicking a specific action, such as swinging a tennis racket or golf club. It can also be a specific, repetitive lengthening and shortening motion, such as gently going in and out of a specific stretch. It can be used as a way to warm up any area of the body. When one performs dynamic flexibility exercises, oppositional muscles are warmed up in equal measure, because you're going back and forth along the path of a particular range of motion. The muscles repeatedly shorten then lengthen thus allowing the muscles on both sides of the specific action to properly stretch and then contract, leaving the muscles ready for more action. An additional benefit is that the joint will find more fluidity and ease of movement. Dynamic flexibility will train the joint how to move succinctly along a particular path and accuracy of movement is crucial in all athletic endeavors and everyday life movement as well.

We often hear about the importance of flexibility as it relates to one's overall health and more often than not, exercisers everywhere equate flexibility with static stretching. Static stretching is when you hold a stretch for a prolonged period (minimum 10 seconds, but I think it should be at least 30 seconds!). However, if you perform static stretching prior to working out it could potentially limit the actions you are about to perform. Static stretching is best to perform after a muscle has been thoroughly worked out. After a muscle has spent some time contracting repeatedly while bearing weight it is a wonderful practice to lengthen and hold that worked muscle with a static stretch in order to rebuild that muscle at a greater length, thus increasing overall elasticity. However, if a muscle is really lengthened prior to bearing weight, it might not return to an ideal resting length and an over-lengthened muscle may more easily strain when resistance & motion are applied. Another example of dynamic stretching being superior to static stretching as a pre-workout warm-up has to do with the joints. Dynamic stretching directly affects and works on the joints while static stretching, which works wonders for lengthening muscle fibers, does not work on joints as specifically. In fact, static stretching if not performed cautiously could even create imbalance and instability in a joint, leading to altered movement patterns and potentially, injury. Therefore, before you work out: do dynamic flexibility! After: static stretching.

Here are some great dynamic flexibility exercises:

• Cat/Cow: in a quadruped position (all fours) alternate between rounding your spine like a cat (belly toward sky) and arching your back like a cow (belly toward the floor)
• Spider: stand with your feet wide apart, put your hands on the floor and alternate bending and straightening your knees, moving side to side
• See-Saw: from the spider position, pivot to one side so you end up in a lunge position, one foot in front, one foot in back. Alternate bending and straightening your knees. Be sure to perform with each foot in front and in back.
• Metronome: stand tall, raise your arms overhead and clasp your hands together. Now, keep those hands reaching high and alternate reaching side to side. Be sure to reach tall in the middle!