Is your warmup negatively affecting your workout?

Is your warmup negatively affecting your workout?

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If you were to go to any kids’ soccer game before kickoff, you would see the players dutifully touching their toes and stretching their hamstrings. In all of the races I’ve done, there are always groups of runners leaning against trees, flexing their calves, making sure they are nice and limber for the start. What these athletes, and perhaps even you, don’t realize is that static stretching, holding a position for 20 seconds or more to increase the flexibility of the muscle, is the last thing you want to do before you exert yourself.

When you hold a static stretch, your muscle lengthens and relaxes, which is counterproductive to then immediately contracting the muscle when lifting a weight or propelling your body forward. Static stretching is best saved for after your workout, because it will help your muscles get rid of the metabolic waste your exercise just created. And it will help stave off muscle soreness and tightness in the days that follow.

So then, what, exactly, are you supposed to be doing before you dive into physical activity?

Warm up…literally. Do some light aerobics to raise your body’s core temperature. Jog in place. Do jumping jacks. Your body will be better able to utilize oxygen if your blood is pumping.

Do dynamic stretches. You want to loosen up your muscles so that they can easily go through their full range of motion, not so that they relax. Do some stretches that involve movement. Run in place and kick your feet to your butt to stretch your quads. Hold your arms out and circle them from front to back to warm up your shoulders.

Don’t force a tight muscle into movement. If a muscle is so tight that movement is difficult, the relaxing effect of a static stretch before your workout may override the benefits of a dynamic stretch.

Remember, this is just a warmup. Spend about 5 to 10 minutes, but don’t exert yourself too much, or you will just end up tired instead of ready for movement.

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