What is the best way to stretch?

Conventional wisdom says … 

The old school of thought suggested that the best way to stretch is to hold a position where you feel a pulling sensation in your muscle for a certain amount of time. This is a static stretch, meaning you hold one position. Dynamic stretching is when you move your body through a range of motion.

Dynamic before, static afterwards… if you want

Dynamic stretching has increased in popularity in recent years, as it has been shown to be more effective as part of a warm-up before exercising, while static stretching has actually been shown to decrease performance in some instances when performed prior to the activity. For this reason, when choosing between the two, I would recommend dynamic stretching prior to an activity, and if you enjoy static stretching, save it for afterwards. If you don’t enjoy static stretching, it’s not as helpful as you may have thought, so I’d recommend something else.

But if you really want to improve your range of motion… 

I believe neither static nor dynamic stretches in their traditional forms are the most effective way to stretch. While common dynamic stretches such as leg swings, high knees, and buttkicks may warm you up, movements like these likely won’t create long lasting effects. In other words, you may get warmed up for the activity you’re about to do, but if your goal for stretching is to improve your range of motion and be more flexible, there’s a better way!

I would argue that you will see better improvements in your mobility if you load your body through a range of motion. (Since you are moving while “stretching,” this could be classified as a dynamic stretch, but it isn’t what people are typically referring to when they talk about dynamic stretches.) When you load your tissues, you’re teaching your body to work into new ranges of motion. Not only are you improving your range of motion, but you are making sure you are strong and stable in that new range. Your body responds well and adapts to load. Loading your muscles into new ranges of motion helps lead to more adaptations, thus creating longer lasting benefits. 

What does loading through a range of motion look like?

Take your hamstrings for example. You can do a Romanian deadlift, where you are hinging at your hips to lower a weight in front of you, feeling a pull in your hamstrings while strengthening at the same time. You could also do a Jefferson curl where you generally hold a lighter weight and let your body fold forwards while the weight helps pull you slightly further. Not only will these exercises help improve your mobility, you are also getting stronger at the same time. For people who feel like their time is limited, this multi-beneficial approach will help you work on many things all at once. 

Jefferson Curl

When is the best time to load my muscles through a range of motion?

Loading your body through a range of motion has benefits before and after exercising. 

If you load your body through a range of motion prior to a workout, you will have more available range of motion which will make the subsequent movements feel easier and more comfortable. Your low back and hamstrings will likely feel nice and ready after you loaded them up with some Jefferson curls prior. You are focusing on the specific movements that you will tackle in the workout, so it makes sense to include something like this prior. Take a squat for example. People often times will feel tight at the bottom of a squat. Loading up their hips or their ankles in various ways can help prep them to squat as well as work on their mobility. 

But, this load-it-up stretching can also be tremendously beneficial after exercising. It can help improve your range of motion for the future. After exercising you are already nice and warmed up, and now you can push yourself a little further, with some load to help you create lasting adaptations. 

Summary

Dynamic warmups can be great before a workout to get your body warmed up and ready to move. Static stretching can feel nice after a workout, but may not create as much lasting change as using load. If you’re looking to improve your range of motion, consider loading your body through a range of motion to create more lasting effects. You can do this type of “stretch” before a workout to prep yourself for a movement you are about to do, or afterwards to focus on some of your limitations once you’re nice and warm. Both can be effective!