Health Facts: Why should we do pre- & post-workout stretches?
updated the 9 June 2016 à 12:48
Know your stretches! What you do before and after a workout can make a huge difference to your performance.
There’s been quite a lot of hoo-haa in recent years about how people are stretching all wrong. Is it wrong to stretch our muscles before our main workout? What kind of warm-ups should be implemented instead? Do we even need to stretch at all? Since there are so many theories and hearsay circling around out there, we decided to debunk all these myths in one handy article so you know exactly what to do the next time you exercise.
First of all, you should keep in mind that not all stretches are created equal. The kinds of stretches that you do pre- and post-workout should be different, in order to bring about the most effective results to your exercise routine. We’ll explain further below.
Pre-workout warm-up
The title “warm-up” should explain it all. You should technically be increasing the temperature and heart rate of your body by performing some simple but dynamic stretches. These exercises prepare the body for vigorous exercise, especially if you have been sedentary the whole day before this. Stretching out your muscles and increasing your range of motion will reduce your risk of injury and improve your athletic performance, so be sure to implement exercises that target the muscle groups you’ll be using for your main workout.
Post-workout cool-down
Static stretches should not be done before, but only after a workout, because it is targeted to relax the muscles and can decrease athletic performance if implemented pre-workout. After vigorous exercise, it is recommended that you do some static stretches to improve your flexibility and loosen up your muscles, especially if you work at a desk job.
Now that you know exactly why and how to stretch to maximise your workout, head up to our gallery for some examples you can use later before and after your evening jog.
Dione Chen
Photos: Getty Images
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