Should You Stretch Before or After Your Workout?
When should you stretch? As with many other aspects of fitness, there are different points of view, and I sort of studied each of them. I stretched before my workout because that’s what everyone else does; I gave up pre-workout stretching because I felt the cons outweighed the pros; and more recently , I realized how stretching can help improve your workout . So let me share what I have learned.
Stretching before exercise is not required.
Let’s debunk a few myths with lightning-fast circular style: static stretching (when you hold the stretch for, say, 30 seconds) doesn’t “warm up” your muscles; actually locomotion does it. Pre-stretching does not reduce the chance of injury during exercise. And it doesn’t change how much pain you may feel afterwards. ( We debunk more of these myths here .)
If you’re not currently stretching before your workout and you’re happy with how your workouts are going, you’re fine. You don’t need to add anything.
Dynamic stretching is a good pre-workout option
What then to do instead of stretching? Think about the purpose of the warm-up: it should prepare you for the day’s work. A good workout should:
- Literally warm up the muscles, as in the sense of temperature.
- Make you move like a daily workout requires, or even an exaggerated version of those moves.
- Let you practice the skills associated with these movements (like empty bar squatting before you start adding weight).
Dynamic stretching is usually recommended at the beginning of a workout instead of static stretching because it does the first two of these things at the same time. Let’s say you’re about to run; doing multiple sets of high knees and glute thrusts will get your heart rate up, blood flowing, and your quads and hamstrings flexible and ready to move freely.
Foam rollers or other self-massage techniques are also recommended here. They stretch your muscles one place at a time without requiring you to really dive into the stretch. Static stretching can slightly decrease your maximum strength or power output; dynamic stretching provides less stretching and more other warm-up benefits, so this is a good option.
Targeted static stretching can also be helpful before a workout.
Static stretching for no reason doesn’t deserve a spot in your pre-workout routine. But many of us have a good reason to do a static stretch before we move on to other exercises.
For example, if your ankles are prone to stiffness, stretching your ankles and calves before squatting can help you squat deeper. This could be a special ankle stretch, or you could just grab a barbell and sit at the bottom of the squat for about 30 seconds, giving your Achilles tendons a chance to relax.
Or take my shoulders, for example. A physiotherapist once advised me to stretch my shoulders before training that included overhead movements. I was skeptical at first, but she’s right: it’s easier for me to keep the barbell in the right position if I take the time to stretch my shoulders first.
Or, for a more extreme example, what do ballet dancers do when they start rehearsing during the day? They may start with movements to physically warm up, but there will usually also be a good long stretch segment to help them warm up before attempting the movements that require the most range of motion.
Stretching after a workout is a great time to work on flexibility
Finally, we have come to the end of training. If you want to work on your flexibility in the future , the end of your workout is a great time to do so. After a workout, your muscles are warmed up and have already warmed up a little. This will help you go deeper into the stretch. (If you are doing a separate stretching session, a small movement, such as cardio or dynamic stretching, before you sit down can also serve this purpose.)
You can also stretch as deeply as you want without worrying about whether overstretching will affect what you do next. So if you have an flexibility routine that you are working on, this is the perfect time.