FITNESS & NUTRITION
MATT PALAZOLLA
FITNESS PERFORMANCE
Range of Motion During Stretching
When it comes to warming up your body prior to
exercise or training, there are a few things to take into
consideration. The body always has a baseline point in
which it can create constant movement and explosive
movement. The optimization of this baseline is critical
to overall performance.
Stretching is an approach most people use to warm
their bodies up prior to strenuous movement. The
problem with stretching statically, is that it alters your
baseline by typically creating more range of motion.
Increased range of motion isn’t an issue, as long as
they train within that range of motion. However,
most of us have tendencies to stretch more before
we warm up for training or play, than we do before
exercise. This creates inconsistencies in the body,
and ultimately hurts us in the long run. If you’re
someone who likes to stretch and have already
incorporated this into your warm up, here’s what
I’d suggest moving forward:
- Make sure that your stretches pre-performance
reflect what you do prior to exercise or your time
at the gym.
- Allow your stretches to be “realistic.”
I’ll get into this another time, but the range of motion
you’re trying to achieve in your stretch should be
reflective of what you see in your daily/sports specific
movements.
Don’t stretch until it hurts. Seriously, shaking is okay
when stretching, but pain is simply not good.