Static vs. Dynamic Stretching – What should I be doing?!

Health & wellness article written by Dr. Kaitlyn Hamel, Doctor of Physical Therapy, at Seacoast Spine & Sports Injuries Clinic in Portsmouth, Hampton, and Alton NH.

Whether you consider yourself an athlete or maybe you’re just an active individual, this topic will pertain to you. Stretching is often considered the optional portion of a work out. Individuals at all levels of activity make this critical mistake. Not only is stretching helpful but it’s essential for getting the most out of your workout as well as preventing injury.

As a physical therapist, I evaluate patients’ everyday who could have possibly avoided an injury if they had been in the habit of stretching properly. Most patients, no matter the diagnosis, require some measure of stretching as part of their treatment. This can be achieved in one of two ways: manually performed by a therapist or a self stretch performed by the individual.

When considering a proper stretching regiment you must review the two primary techniques: 1) static stretching; and 2) dynamic stretching. Static stretching is the traditional from of stretching. You may become nostalgic thinking about how you use to stretch during your middle and high school days while in gym class or on the field before a sporting event. Your coach would give the order to circle up and stretch. This would typically start with a hamstring stretch, extending one leg forward and then reaching down to touch your toes. Next, you probably did a quadriceps stretch by bending your knee and grabbing the ankle. Static stretches are held for 30-60 seconds with the main objective of releasing muscle tension and increasing pliability of the soft tissue. Static stretching is used to increase connective tissue flexibility, improve joint mobility and increase blood flow to the muscles.

Recently athletic programs have been switching over to more of a dynamic approach to stretching. Dynamic stretching involves active movement of the joint into a direction that provides tension on the muscle. For example, rather then holding a forward bend for a static stretch, coaches will instruct their athletes to kick their leg forward as high as they can while keeping their knee straight for a dynamic hamstring stretch. The benefit of dynamic stretching is that it can be workout or sport specific in order to prime the body for power and speed.

When combined, static and dynamic stretching can be used to get the 'most bang for your buck'. It's recommended that dynamic stretching be used pre-workout to prepare your body for more high intensity movement. Static stretching can be used separately from exercise OR post workout. The post workout benefits for static stretching include: decreased risk for cramping, increased soft tissue flexibility, increased joint mobility, and decreased generalized stiffness.

In my opinion, the only wrong way to stretch is to not stretch at all. Keep in mind that static and dynamic stretching can be used together or separately. Timing is everything in order to maximize the benefits! Use dynamic for pre-work and static for post work-out.

Please contact Dr. Kaitlyn Hamel (drhamel@seacoastsportsinjuries.com) with any questions regarding this article topic. Let us know if there's a topic you'd like to know more about.