The Amazing Benefits of 'Stretching' Before and After Exercise

Stretching before and after exercise not only prevents injuries but also enhances the effectiveness of the workout, making it just as important as the exercise itself. What is the best way to do it?

◇Dynamic stretching before exercise, enhances workout efficiency and prevents injuries

First, before exercising, you should perform 'dynamic stretching' such as aerobic exercise. Typical examples include light jogging or jumping jacks. Dynamic stretching helps increase heart rate and facilitates smooth blood supply to the muscles. Therefore, it helps improve the efficiency of the workout. Since it does not put a significant strain on the body, muscles do not become overly tense before exercise. Instead, it prepares the joints and muscles for more intense activity, preventing injuries. On the other hand, static stretching, such as pulling the toes with your hands or stretching your legs side to side to relax the muscles excessively before exercise, can actually cause muscle contractions after the activity, which is not beneficial. This is because the body perceives excessive muscle relaxation as a threat and attempts to contract the muscles. As a result, when you start the main workout, your body remains tense, increasing the risk of injury. In fact, a study team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed over 100 related papers and found that stretching to relax muscles before exercise does not reduce injury risk and may even increase the risk of injuries such as muscle tears.

◇Static stretching after exercise helps prevent pain and stabilizes muscles

Stretching is essential even after exercise. At this time, it is good to do 'static stretching' as a cool-down exercise in place. During exercise, specific parts of the body are repeatedly used, and muscles are divided into contracted and relaxed areas. For example, when lifting dumbbells for arm exercises, the biceps contract while the triceps relax. If you do not relax the muscles after this, the muscles may remain in an asymmetrical state. It is also good to do cool-down exercises to create the 'beautiful muscles' often talked about. It helps improve muscle function and stabilize the muscles. Additionally, post-exercise stretching can prevent fatigue and pain caused by exercise. Gradually reducing the stimulation of the muscles that have been heavily used helps facilitate relaxation, and effectively reduces lactic acid buildup within the muscles, preventing delayed-onset muscle soreness. At the same time, it promotes smooth blood circulation and helps maintain a warm body temperature. When doing post-exercise stretching, it is good to stretch sufficiently in the opposite direction of the muscle contraction. After adopting the correct posture for each area, hold the stretch for at least 10-15 seconds until you feel the muscles being pulled, and repeat three times. For areas where you want to relax the muscles, lying down or sitting with a foam roller and massaging in up-and-down or side-to-side motions for about 10 minutes is also effective.