Q. "Is warming up with stretching as important as stretching after a workout? I don't seem to have time for both." —Jennifer Berry
A. Although tempting, stretching is not where you should shave time. Stretching before and after a workout is incredibly important, especially for uber-busy and active moms. It helps strengthen your bones, muscles and joints, while preparing your body for the activities it is about to face.
There are two types of stretching to incorporate into a workout: dynamic stretching and static stretching. In theory, dynamic stretching is ideal to do before a workout. It helps loosen your muscles and makes them more pliable and easy to move through the upcoming activities. It helps bring the blood flow to your extremities and warm up your system. Examples are: jumping jacks, leg swings, high jumps, side steps, light jogging and jack-squats.
Static stretching is when you hold a stretch in place for a minimum of 20-30 seconds. Static stretching helps when cooling down muscles and reducing the lactic acid build up. It helps maintain the flexibility of the muscles that were used vigorously in a workout and return to their “normal” state. Examples are: traditional standing quad stretch, butterfly stretch, and cat-cow stretch.
If you can incorporate some dynamic stretching into your warm up and allow for 5 minutes of static stretching at the end, you will have the ideal workout. It makes a significant difference in not only your completed workout, but also subsequent workouts.
So if you really need an extra 5 minutes in your day keep the stretching on both ends of your workout and whittle away some time in your beauty regimen, such as opting to air dry your hair rather than blow dry. Your body and possibly your hair, will thank you.
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About Erin Shirey
When not chasing after her 2 little girls, Erin Shirey is Baby Boot Camp® Leadership Coach, owns Baby Boot Camp® Portland & Beaverton, Co-Owns POWER Outdoor Fitness, Inc., and owns Power of YOU Fitness, Inc. Erin has written for many athletic publications, in addition to being a contributing editor for Better TV. She has a BS in Kinesiology, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and Fit To Deliver Pre and Postnatal Certified Trainer. Check out her blog or email her at erin.shirey@babybootcamp.com.