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What is the difference? Do you know which one is recommended to do before a workout and which one is recommended after? Well, let us chat about it. A dynamic warmup, or dynamic stretching, is typically a light aerobic activity utilized to get the blood flowing to your body and muscles, produce oxygen, and warm up your muscles. This kind of warmup will allow your body to perform at peak performance, allow you to utilize full range of motion, and, most importantly, prevent injury. Dynamic warmups should be performed immediately before your training and last anywhere from 5-15 minutes depending on the length of the training.
Personally, in my earlier years, I skipped warmups a lot believing that it was just taking away from my training time; however, now, and especially for all our athletes, it is imperative that we all warm up the body to prevent any injury. Performing a warmup routine also allows your body to simply move to the best of its ability when otherwise diving into training without could leave you unable to perform the exercises correctly or in an extremely limited capacity.
Following a training session or workout, static stretching will help to relax and stretch the muscles that have just been worked. It is just as important as the warmup; allowing the body to cool down and recover after training. A simple 5-10 stretching routine after your workout can further prevent injury, assist in the recovery of the muscles, and allow your heartrate to return to normal.
Next time you train, see how big a difference it is when you add in a dynamic warmup before and some static stretching after.
Written By: Jen De la Cruz
