Difference Between STATIC and DYNAMIC STRETCHING

During our younger days, we started every P.E. class with stretching. Since then, a lot of us have had that mentality to stretch before every exercise. Whether it’s basketball, baseball, football, or any other sport, stretching has always been a staple practice. But why do we take the time to stretch instead of just going straight to playing? Does it make us better than our competition? In this article, you’ll learn the basics of static and dynamic stretching.

STATIC STRETCHING

Static stretching is the most common kind of stretching. You see this everywhere and at every level of fitness. You see this as a sort of warm-up for almost every kind of fitness class available. Static stretching, to make it simple, is holding a muscle in an elongated position for a period of time while the rest of the body remains immobile. It has been a common practice to do these kinds of stretches before working out but recently, there’s been controversy regarding the use of static stretching as a pre-workout preparation. Regardless, research has backed up the effectiveness of static stretching in increasing the length of muscles and joint range of motion.

Static stretching is the most common kind of stretching. Image Source: Breakingmuscle

When to do STATIC STRETCHING

It’s said that static stretching relieves stress and tension in the muscles thereby providing relaxation. Also, recent studies have shown that static stretching, contrary to what has been taught to us since we were very young, actually decreases muscle strength. So, the real question here should be “when NOT to do static stretching?” Given that it relaxes your muscle, it’s not good to use it before an exercise where strength is a requirement.

As stated above, it weakens the stretched muscle. When you engage in activity where you use the muscle you just stretched, you won’t be tapping in to its full potential which then puts you at a higher risk for injury. I’m a strong believer in not risking your health for progress because there will always be better and safer ways to go about a workout so don’t do static stretching prior to any sport or exercise.

You should use static stretching AFTER your training when you are about to rest. As already stated, it promotes relaxation which makes it a good cool-down. Also, after a workout, your muscles are tense and tight. To maintain your joint’s range of motion while your muscles recover, static stretching is the way to go.

How to do STATIC STRETCHING

I studied how to stretch a muscle in Physical Therapy for 5 long years but worry not. You don’t have to study years or even days how to do this. In fact, you most likely already know how to do it. Remember all those warm-ups your coach had you do during P.E. class? I’m sure most, if not all of those, are static stretches to your arms & legs. Remember when you wake up and raise your arms while extending your back? Hold that position for a few more seconds and that’s a static stretch too.

To perform a static stretch, position the muscle you want to stretch at an elongated position and hold it for about 30 seconds. Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is. With this information, you are now ready to coach your favorite athlete! Just kidding. All jokes aside, here are a few examples of how to stretch some of your favorite muscles.

• BICEPS — Every man’s favorite body part. The primary action of your biceps is to bend your elbows. Secondarily, it helps raise your shoulders to the front. So to stretch out your guns, just do the opposite. First, place your hands behind your back. This position already stretches a part of your biceps but it doesn’t stop there. Next, straighten out those elbows. Now this should make you look like you’re dragging something heavy behind you. This position stretches out the entire length of your biceps.
• CHEST — The other favorite of the male gender. Working out this muscle too much tends to give you a slouching posture because it tightens up too much that your back muscles can’t counteract it which is why it’s always a good idea to stretch those pecs. You wouldn’t want to look lazy after working so hard on those definitions, would you? To stretch this muscle, put your hands behind your head as if you’re being harassed by a police officer for speeding on a highway. Next, go to a corner and make sure your elbows touch the adjacent walls. Now with your elbows acting as a stopper, all you have to do is lean forward. You should feel that stretch in your chest right about now.
• BUTT — The gluteus maximus. Arguably the sexiest part of the female anatomy. To stretch this, lie down with the front part of your body facing up. Next, with your knees bent, pull one leg towards your chest while maintaining a neutral back. You should be able to feel a stretch on your plump behind and sometimes at the back of your thighs.

The other muscles in your body aren’t hard to stretch either. When you go the gym, your trainer is going to give you a program that works different parts of your body. Use that program to learn how to stretch. When working out a muscle, your trainer is going to let you lift weights that challenge the action of that muscle. Do the opposite of the movement, hold it for 30 seconds then repeat 3–4 times, and you’re already doing static stretching.

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DYNAMIC STRETCHING

This is the stretching technique that most coaches and athletes are gravitating towards in recent years. Because it is a stretching technique, it obviously lengthens a muscle but unlike static stretching, it doesn’t relax and weaken the muscles that you are preparing to use. Instead, it warms up the muscle and increases blood flow. To perform dynamic stretching, you need to actively use your muscles, mimicking the workout you are about to do. No hold time is required. For example, when you’re preparing to do a bench press, you can stretch your chest and shoulders by simply positioning your arms beside you at roughly 60 degrees and then moving them alternately in front and behind your chest. The movement warms up your chest and shoulder muscles, lengthens them, and copies the movements used in bench pressing.

When to do DYNAMIC STRETCHING

Our muscles are like diesel engines and our blood vessels are like straws. Remember that a warm muscle works better than a cold, stiff one and dilated blood vessels deliver oxygen better than those that are constricted. These two factors alone make dynamic stretching the better choice compared to static stretching as a pre-workout warm-up.

Anything you learned can be unlearned so forget what your P.E. teacher taught you. DON’T do static stretching before a workout. Do dynamic instead. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Dynamic stretching doesn’t weaken or kill your muscles — it strengthens them. So trust me when I say that not only does it make you stronger, you’re training smarter as well.

How to do DYNAMIC STRETCHING

If you’re a serious sports fanatic like I am, you’ve probably noticed the warm-ups that your favorite athletes do. It’s like they’re already playing the game at a much less intense level, right? That’s how dynamic stretching is done. Let’s take basketball as our example. Every game, players don’t just come out of the locker room and play right away. First, they warm up. The team shoots free throws, does lay ups, shoots three pointers, etc. That’s all part of doing a dynamic stretch.

Body-builders, before they lift anything heavy, start off by shaking their arms or legs then they do the desired exercise at a much lighter weight. This, again, is dynamic stretching.

So how do you perform dynamic stretching? Easy. I’ve already explained it plenty above. It just mimics the workout or sport you intend to do. So if you’re sprinting, do a few lunge jumps with trunk twists or high knees to imitate the motions that happen while running. Warming up for a baseball match? Do a couple of swings. Boxing? Shadow box in your corner or spar a little with your coach.

Training for your desired sport is always fun and challenging but it also puts you at a greater risk for injury if you lack the flexibility or didn’t do the proper warm up. If you want to be a winner you’ll need to pay attention to detail. Dunks and haymakers may look really good on TV but the little things that made it happen are just as important. Static and dynamic stretching is important. Warm up with dynamic and finish your day up with static.

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