Should You Be Stretching Before Exercising?

Stretching Before Exercise: Do or Don’t?

In the health world, recommendations are always evolving. Something we’ve been told for years can change as new research emerges—and stretching before exercise is a great example.

Most of us learned early on that stretching before activity helps prevent injury. While warming up is still important, there’s been growing discussion about how and when to stretch.

Stretching lengthens muscles, which can actually reduce their ability to generate power right before activities like sprinting or lifting. In these cases, you want your muscles activated and ready—not overly relaxed.

As with many things in health, balance is key.

Exercising on cold muscles isn’t ideal, but neither is doing long, static stretches before activity. Instead, current recommendations suggest:

• Starting with a light warm-up, like walking or jogging

• Incorporating dynamic movements such as leg swings or lunges

• Saving deeper, static stretches for after your workout

For active individuals in Brookfield, Wauwatosa, and the greater Milwaukee area, using the right approach to stretching can help improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

If you’re unsure what type of stretching routine is best for you, the team at Wignall-Kennedy Chiropractic can help create a plan tailored to your needs.

Contact us today to schedule an evaluation and keep your body moving at its best.