When it comes to working out, one of the most important yet somehow disregarded parts of a workout is stretching. While warming up before, then cooling down after a workout may seem like a negligible part of a workout, they are rather extremely vital. They not only improve your performance but also reduce your risk of injury during your exercise routine. When it comes to warmups and cool-downs, static stretching and dynamic stretching exercises are two of the most commonly mentioned and used exercises. But between these two types of stretching, which one of them is better? Should you use static or dynamic stretches first? Can you randomly switch out these exercises and still achieve the same result? In today’s article we shall be looking more into the difference between static vs dynamic stretching, not only to answer the above questions (and more) but also to understand the effectiveness of each routine and why we should use each one.
Understanding the difference between dynamic stretching vs static stretching is the easiest way to properly differentiate these two routines and know when to use them (7, 5).
Static stretching involves either sitting, standing, or lying down and holding a muscle in a single stretched position for a period of time – usually up to 30 seconds without moving. Simply stretch a given muscle (or group of muscles) to their furthest point and just hold.
On the other hand, dynamic stretching involves movement. In dynamic stretching you do slow and controlled movements to help your joints and muscles go through their full range of motion. To do a full stretch, people often do sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of the same movement. Dynamic stretches are meant to mimic the workout you are about to do. E.g. If you are about to go for a walk or a run, your warm up would include jogging or walking in place would be a dynamic stretching exercise that you could do to get you ready for the main workout.
Read More: Static Stretches: The Five Must Haves In Your Stretching Routine
For a better understanding of how these two types of stretches differ, here is a table outlining the major differences:
| Static Stretching | Dynamic Stretching |
|---|---|
| Stationary – Hold still throughout the stretch | Active and includes movement of muscles/limbs |
| Each stretch is help for at least 30 seconds (45 seconds at most) | Involves repetitive movements done in sets with 8 – 12 reps |
| Done after a workout as part of a cool down session | Done before a workout as a warm up |
| The goal is to slowly decrease your heart rate after a workout | The goal is to gradually increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles (by sending more blood to the muscles) before a workout |
| Often targets a single muscle group at a time | Targets multiple muscle groups at a time |
If you are about to workout, dynamic stretches come before the workout and static stretches come after the workout. The reason for this, as seen in the table above, is that dynamic stretches are
Static stretches are best left for after a workout because
Both dynamic and static stretching are important in their own right and neither should be held in higher regard over the other. Remember that these two types of stretching exercises help
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As stated above, static stretches are stationary while dynamic stretches are active requiring movement. Some examples of dynamic stretches would include walking lunges, leg pendulums, and torso twists. On the other hand, static stretching would include examples like:
Here are some simple dynamic stretching exercises that you can try today:
Read More: Hip Stretches For Runners Looking To Improve Their Performance
This works the same as leg swings only. Instead of moving the swinging leg out and to the side, you swing it in circles. Do 12 swings per leg.
Arm circles are a perfect dynamic stretching exercise to do as a warmup anytime you are about to do upper body workouts.
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Any of the above mentioned stretches in the section above are perfect examples of dynamic stretches that you can do at the comfort of your home or at the gym.
When it comes to the static vs dynamic stretching debate, it is best to understand that not only are both stretches essential for any workout session, but they also have multiple benefits. Don’t skip on any of them the next time you choose to exercise. Just remember that dynamic stretches are done before a workout, while static ones are for after the session during the cool down session.
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