Dynamic Stretching: How to Use It in Your Warm-Up
Dynamic stretching involves moving actively through a range of motion rather than moving into a position and holding it for an extended period.
Think leg swings, walking lunges, arm circles or controlled rotations rather than sitting in a hamstring stretch for 30 seconds.
The aim is to gradually expose your body to the movements and ranges of motion you're about to use while your muscles are actively working.
WHY USE DYNAMIC STRETCHING?
Dynamic stretching works particularly well as part of a warm-up.
It can help temporarily increase range of motion while also allowing you to practise movement, increase body temperature and progressively prepare for the session ahead.
Unlike prolonged static stretching immediately before explosive activity, appropriately performed dynamic stretching isn't generally associated with the same potential short-term reduction in maximal strength or power.
That makes it particularly useful before lifting, running, jumping or playing sport.
HOW TO DO IT
Dynamic stretching shouldn't just involve aggressively throwing yourself as far as possible into a stretch.
Start with a range you can comfortably control and gradually increase it as you warm up.
For example, before a lower-body training session you might use:
Leg swings
Walking lunges
Squats
Hip rotations
Controlled hamstring sweeps
But you don't need a huge catalogue of mobility exercises before every workout.
Your warm-up should reflect what you're about to do.
If you're going to squat, gradually moving through a squat and then progressively loading the exercise itself may be considerably more useful than spending fifteen minutes performing unrelated stretches.
DYNAMIC VS STATIC STRETCHING
Neither is inherently better.
They're simply different tools.
Dynamic stretching generally makes sense when you want to increase range of motion while preparing to move and produce force.
Static stretching can be useful when specifically working on flexibility or when you simply enjoy it.
The duration and intensity matter too. A brief static stretch before training isn't going to suddenly make you weak.
As with most things in training, context matters more than arbitrary rules.
IN CLOSING
Dynamic stretching is a simple way to prepare your body for training.
Move through the ranges you're going to use, gradually increase the intensity and then progress into the movements you're actually there to train.
A warm-up doesn't need to be an entirely separate workout.
It just needs to leave you more prepared for the one you're about to do.