Stretching is commonly seen as a simple practice, but there exist important nuances that can make a big difference in its safety and effectiveness. After sending out tips on the Tactical Frog and T-Spine Bridge a few weeks ago, I received a great question about one such nuance: “Is it okay to stretch when cold, or should I warm up first?”
If you’ve ever wondered the same, here are some quick and simple answers to that and three other common stretching questions:
How long should I hold a stretch?
The answer depends on what type of stretching you’re doing—dynamic or static.
Dynamic stretching involves moving through a gradually increasing range of motion as you perform repetitions. In other words, it actually requires that you don’t hold the stretch for any extended period of time. The Tactical Frog is an example of such a stretch, as each of the steps involves at least a small amount of rocking and only brief pauses when changing directions.
Static stretching is the type that involves holding a (stretched) position for a set period. Typical recommendations range from 15 to 60 seconds, although I often suggest using a breath count of between 5 and 20, as mentioned in the Brettzel tip. In most static stretches (e.g. toe touch, Brettzel), you’ll probably come out of the stretch slightly when you inhale and sink deeper into the stretch when you exhale. A good time to call it quits for a given set is a few (relaxed, non-restricted) breaths after you’ve reached the end range of your flexibility.
I stretch all the time but still feel tight; what am I doing wrong?
Assuming that you don’t have a bunch of scar tissue from a previous injury, this is often caused by a large difference in your passive and active flexibility.
Passive flexibility refers to a muscle’s ability to elongate (i.e. stretch) either when relaxed or with assistance from an external source. A standing or strap-assisted seated toe touch demonstrate passive flexibility of the hamstrings. (In a standing toe touch, gravity assists. In the strap-assisted seated toe touch, the strap obviously assists.)
Active flexibility refers to a muscle’s ability to elongate under its own power or with the contraction of a reciprocal muscle (i.e. the muscle on the opposite side of the joint). A seated toe touch, in which the muscles on the front of your hips pull you deeper into the stretch, or holding a straight leg in front of you demonstrate active flexibility of the hamstrings.
A large discrepancy between the two often causes “reflexive stiffness” (and feelings of “tightness”) as a sort of protective mechanism. Because the muscle is pliable but not necessarily strong enough to support its end range of motion, it reflexively tenses when it nears the beginning of the range of motion where it lacks strength.
Quickly moving past that “safe” range—such as trying to grab a water bottle that you accidently knocked off the counter before it hits the floor—increases risk of injury. Narrowing the gap between your passive and active flexibility should not only reduce that risk but also cause you to generally feel less tight. (See the answer to the final question for an active flexibility improvement strategy.)
Do I need to warm up before stretching?
Once again, that depends on what type of stretching you’re doing.
Prior to static stretching it’s usually a good idea to do a few minutes of dynamic movement—easy exercises like body weight squats or lunges or dynamic stretches like bootstrap squats or arm circles—in order to increase blood flow and muscle temperature (which makes them more pliable and reduces injury risk). Prior to dynamic stretching a warm-up isn’t crucial because, by definition, the way the stretching is performed acts as its own warm-up.
I recommend doing multiple rounds of a combination of stretches. For example, start with a hip stretch, then perform the Tactical Frog followed by the 90/90 stretch (see the Tactical Frog tip), and repeat a couple more times. The first round should be very light and easy, with subsequent rounds intensifying as you go. Not only does each stretch serve as a warm-up for the next, but the complementary nature of the stretches also improves the overall effectiveness.
Should I stretch before or after training?
This answer depends on your goals. (It’s also a good answer to the prior question.)
Stretching after training usually feels good because the muscles are warm, blood-filled, and pliable. All of which means that you’re likely to stretch further than you’d be able to do earlier in the session. Post-exercise stretching is also a simple, practical way to cool down and to finish a training session on a positive note.
However, if your goal is to significantly improve your flexibility, then stretching before training is your best option because of a detail I’ve already covered: passive and active flexibility.
While stretching after (strength) training might generally feel better, it means that the training occurred over a slightly smaller range of motion than it would (or at least could) have if the stretching had been performed before training. Any strength gains that occur because of that training then happen only over that shortened range.
In other words, your range of active flexibility doesn’t improve because you weren’t able to access that extended range during training.
Ultimately, stretching at any time can help to increase your passive flexibility. But to improve your active flexibility (and reduce your overall risk of injury), stretching prior to training using mostly dynamic stretches is the better answer.
Putting it into practice
Take some time over the next couple of weeks to experiment with both pre- and post-training stretching.
Pay attention to how your body responds, and then start regularly incorporating the stretches and strategies that help you improve the most.
If you do, there’s no doubt your inner Gumby will soon emerge.