You’ve heard it before, but it’s true! Warm muscles are ideal for stretching.
But why? Well, think of your muscles as an elastic band. When cold, they have a much harder time elongating, and are tense and stiff. But when our muscles are warm they have far greater elasticity, making it way easier to tap-into your body’s full range of motion. Even more importantly, warm muscles have a lessened risk of injury, or ‘snapping’ if we’re following the elastic band analogy.
Wondering how to get your muscles nice and toasty before diving into your deepest bend? You’re going to need to raise your internal body temperature by a few degrees! You can accomplish this by doing a little aerobic exercise (5-10 minutes of something that will get your heart pumping!) or a dynamic stretch. If you’ve been reading our newsletter for a while, you probably saw our recent newsletter about isometric vs passive stretches.
For anyone that missed it, or anyone who needs a little reminder, put most simply, a dynamic stretch is any stretch that involves resistance and/or movement. Think movements such as plank walk-outs, lunges or squats. These stretches all involve lengthening and activating the muscles, and the effort required is sure to get your heart beating and blood flowing. Once you’re warmed up, you can then get into your static stretches, AKA stretches that require little to no activation of the stretched muscles, or, safely challenge yourself to go deeper into those dynamic stretches.
So next time you’re ready to find your best bend, make sure to preheat your bod with some movements that’ll get your heart pumping! Looking for tips and tricks to get your best bend? You can book a class with me here!