Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching that uses controlled movements through a full range of motion to prepare muscles for exertion. It has been shown to be more effective for warm-ups than static stretching, which can reduce strength and power. Dynamic stretching engages the dynamic stretch receptors in muscles in a sport-specific way and has been linked to improved performance and reduced injury risk compared to static stretching. Common dynamic stretches include high knees, butt kicks, and lunges. Static stretching is better suited for post-workout cool downs.

1. Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching beneficial in sports utilizing momentum from
form, static-active stretching strength and the momentum from static-active stretching
strength, in an effort to propel the muscle into an extended range of motion not
exceeding one's static-passive stretching ability. Anything beyond this range of motion
becomes ballistic stretching. It is a type of stretching while moving, as opposed to static
stretching in which one stands still.
This form of stretching prepares the body for physical exertion and sports performance.
In the past it was the practice to undertake static stretching before exercise. Dynamic
stretching increases range of movement, blood and oxygen flow to soft tissues prior to
exertion. Increasingly coaches and sports trainers are aware of the role in dynamic
stretching in improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.
Dynamic stretching is a technique gaining in popularity due to recent studies which
show that traditional static stretching techniques do little to increase flexibility or reduce
injury when performed before a workout. In fact, many studies show that static stretches
actually have a detrimental effect on explosive movements and strength output. [1][2][3]
There are two types of flexibility receptors, a static receptor, which measures magnitude
and a dynamic receptor, which measure speed and magnitude. As one would expect,
dynamic activities that require movement, such as running , jumping, or kicking use the
dynamic receptor to limit flexibility. Therefore, a dynamic stretch that stresses the
dynamic receptor is more beneficial when preparing for a warm-up when performing a
dynamic activity.[3] Dynamic stretching also includes constant motion throughout the
warm-up, which maintains the core body temperature, whereas static stretching can see
a drop in temperature of several degrees.[1] Another benefit of dynamic stretching is that
it prepares the muscles and joints in a more specific manner since the body is going
through motions it will likely repeat in the workout. It also helps the nervous system and
motor ability since dynamic motions do more to develop those areas than static
stretches.[1] It is important to note that although many studies show the lack of benefit of
static stretching before a workout, there is still much data to support the benefits of
static stretching after a workout.[2]
Current research work [Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise 33(3), pp354-358 and
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 15 (1): 98-101] suggests that the
use of dynamic stretches - slow controlled movements through the full range of motion -
are the most appropriate exercises for the warm up. By contrast, static stretches are
more appropriate for the cool down.
How to do Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching works by the practitioner gently propelling their muscles towards
their maximum range of motion. It is very important to note the practitioner should not
use jerky, forced movements to try to increase the range of motion beyond what is
comfortable as it can easily cause injury.[3] In general the practitioner wants to move the
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2. muscle into stretches in a similar way to how they‟re going to move them in a workout.
For example a martial arts practitioner who wants to stretch a hamstring for a kick may
swing a straight leg forward to gradually increase the height they can obtain. Doing light
kicks, with little explosive acceleration, while gradually increasing height, could also be
considered a dynamic stretch.
Ankle pops
"Lightly bounce off both toes while keeping the knees very slightly bent. This is very
similar to a skipping motion, except that it is performed while moving forward. and The
idea is to introduce progressively more range of motion as you move through the
prescribed distance."
High knees
"This is basic running form while bringing the knees up higher than normal – ideally
beyond your waistline. Aim to keep your feet moving as fast as possible and your
ankles, knees, hips and shoulders facing forwards."
Butt kicks
"Similar to high knees except you keep your thighs perpendicular to the ground while
kicking your heels up towards your backside. Again, move fast and keep ankles, knees,
hips and shoulders in alignment."
Carioca
"Moving laterally to your left, cross your right foot in front of your left, then step with your
left, then cross your right foot behind the left and repeat. Aim for as much hip rotation as
possible and keep those feet moving fast." [1]
Glute walk
"In the process of your walk, put your left hand on your left knee and right hand on your
left ankle, then pull both in towards your chest. Take a step and repeat on the other leg."
[1]
Back pedal
"Run backwards maintaining a little bit of a forward lean (shoulders over your toes) to
prevent falling. Really „reach back‟ as far as you can with each step to help stretch the
hip flexor muscles." [1]
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3. Frankenstein march or the Toy Soldier
"Keeping your left leg straight, kick it up in front of you as high as you can, trying to
touch the fingertips of the opposite arm – basically a straight leg march – then repeat
with the right leg. This is an excellent way to increase hamstring flexibility." [1]
Knee hug
"While walking forward, hug your left knee into your chest, then step and repeat on the
right leg, continuing with alternate legs. This is an excellent way to loosen up the glutes
and hips." [1]
Pointers
"Keeping your left leg straight (and right leg bent) and left foot pointed upwards, reach
down with your right hand to try to touch your left toe. Then take a step and repeat on
the other side. This is another excellent movement for enhancing hamstring and low
back flexibility." [1]
Quad walk
"While walking forwards, pull your left heel in to your butt, then step and repeat with the
right leg, continuing with alternate legs. This is ideal for loosening up the quadriceps
and hip flexors." [1]
Low lunge
"Step forward with your left leg into a lunge position (ankles, knees, hips and shoulders
facing forward, torso upright) trying to place your left elbow on the ground as close to
your left heel as possible." [1]
Over the fence
"Facing in the opposite direction to the way you want to travel, raise your left knee as
high as possible and rotate it behind you as if you were trying to walk backwards and
step over an imaginary fence. Repeat on the right leg and continue with alternate legs."
[1]
Inchworm
"Assume a push-up position on the ground, and walk your feet close to your hands
while keeping the legs as straight as possible. Then return to the start position. Repeat
over the prescribed distance, making sure your hands and feet never leave the ground."
[1]
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4. Scorpion
"Lie face down on the ground with arms extended out to the sides, palms facing down,
so your body forms a „T‟ shape. Maintaining this facedown position and keeping your
shoulders flat on the ground, bring your left heel and swing it back towards your right
hand in a reverse twisting motion. Repeat on the other leg." [1]
Static stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of
various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position (to the
point of discomfort) and hold that position for 30 seconds to two minutes. 30 seconds is
the minimum duration to get the benefits of stretching, whereas two minutes is the
maximum (if a position can be held for more than two minutes, a farther stretch should
be performed). During this holding period or directly afterwards, participants may feel a
mild discomfort or warm sensation in the muscles. Static stretching exercises involve
specialized tension receptors in our muscles. When done properly[citation needed], static
stretching slightly lessens the sensitivity of tension receptors, which allows the muscle
to relax and to be stretched to greater length.
There is doubt over the effectiveness of static stretching, with some circles of sport
strongly recommending against it, such as soccer, slamball and rugby league. Recently,
there has been a controversy[citation needed] over static stretching saying that it gets you
ready but makes you weaker.
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5. http://www.elitesoccerconditioning.com/Stretching-
Flexibility/DynamicStretchingvsStaticStretching.htm
Dynamic Stretching vs. Static Stretching
by Taylor Tollison
As coaches and trainers we will perform anything from plyometrics to sprinting to reduce
injury and increase performance. The real question is whether the type of stretching we
chose to perform before activity will have an affect on the performance and injury levels
of our athletes.
STATIC STRETCHING
Many coaches advocate the use of static stretching prior to exercise. Static stretching
involves reaching forward to a point of tension and holding the stretch. Static stretching
has been used through out the years for two main reasons: injury prevention and
performance enhancement. (1) Does static stretching prior to activity achieve the goals
of injury prevention and performance enhancement? Research has shown that static
stretching can be detrimental (MENJEJASKAN) to performance and doesn‟t necessarily
lead to decreases in injury. Below are a few studies done on the topic of static
stretching:
1. Rod Pope an army physiotherapist in Australia, recently carried out a wide study
to assess the relationship between static stretching and injury prevention. Pope
monitored over 1600 recruits over the course of a year in randomised controlled
trials. He found no differences in the occurrence of injury between those recruits
who statically stretched and those who did not. (1, 2)
2. “Gleim & McHugh (1997), would also challenge the premise that stretching, or
indeed increased flexibility, reduces the risk of injury” (1,3)
3. New research has shown that static stretching decreases eccentric strength for
up to an hour after the stretch. Static stretching has been shown to decrease
muscle strength by up to 9% for 60 minutes following the stretch and decrease
eccentric strength by 7% followed by a specific hamstring stretch. (4)
4. Rosenbaum and Hennig showed that static stretching reduced peak force by 5%
and the rate of force production by 8%. This study was about Achilles tendon
reflex activity. (5)
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6. 5. Gerard van Der Poel stated that static stretching caused a specific decrease in
the specific coordination of explosive movements. (4)
6. Three 15-second stretches of the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles
reduced the peak vertical velocity of a vertical jump in the majority of subjects
(Knudson et al. 2000). (6,7)
7. Moscov (1993) found that there is no relationship between static flexibility and
dynamic flexibility. This suggests that an increased static range of motion may
not be translated into functional, sport-specific flexibility, which is largely dynamic
in most sporting situations (1)
8. Static based stretching programs seem best suited following an activity. (8)
In soccer it is vitally important to have explosive muscles that allow a player to jump
higher for the winning header or to explode past an opponent to get to the ball quicker.
Almost every movement in soccer is preceded by an eccentric movement. For
example, when you run you bend your legs first then explode forward. In jumping you
must bend your legs first then jump. Finally, cutting in soccer requires a lot of eccentric
power. Wouldn‟t it make sense to have optimal power, coordination and eccentric
strength to succeed in soccer? If we shouldn‟t static stretch before a game or practice
then how can we stretch to optimize performance on the field? The answer is dynamic
stretching.
DYNAMIC STRETCHING
Many of the best strength coaches support the use of dynamic stretching. Dynamic
stretching consists of functional based exercises which use sport specific movements to
prepare the body for movement. (8) “Dynamic stretching, according to Kurz, "involves
moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or
both." Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching! Dynamic stretching
consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you (gently!) to the limits of your
range of motion. Ballistic stretches involve trying to force a part of the body beyond its
range of motion. In dynamic stretches, there are no bounces or "jerky" movements. (9)
Several professional coaches, authors and studies have supported or shown the
effectiveness of dynamic stretching. Below are a few examples of support for dynamic
stretching:
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7. 1. Mike Boyle uses a dynamic warm-up with his athletes. He goes through about
26000 workouts over the course of a summer. In 2002 he did not have one
major muscle pull that required medical attention. (10)
2. Flexibility is speed specific. There are two kinds of stretch receptors, one
measures magnitude and speed and the other measures magnitude only. Static
flexibility improves static flexibility and dynamic flexibility improves dynamic
flexibility which is why it doesn‟t make sense to static stretch prior to dynamic
activity. There is considerable but not complete transfer of static stretching to
dynamic stretching(11)
3. One author compared a team that dynamically stretched to a team that static
stretched. The team that dynamically stretched had fewer injuries. (8)
4. There are few sports where achieving static flexibility is advantageous to success
in the sport. Therefore according to the principle of specificity it would seem to
be more advantageous to perform a dynamic warm-up which more resembles
the activity of the sport.(12)
5. Dynamic Flexibility increases core temperature, muscle temperature, elongates
the muscles, stimulates the nervous system, and helps decrease the chance of
injury. (13)
6. Another author showed that dynamic stretching does increase flexibility. (11)
As coaches, trainers and parents we all want our athletes to lower their incidence of
injury and increase performance. Dynamic flexibility has been used successfully by
trainers and coaches to increase flexibility and possibly lower the incidence of injury. It
is the job of the coach or trainer to pick the method they feel is best suited for the sport
and athletes. The above evidence suggests the possibility that static stretching prior to
activity is not the best solution. Static stretching doesn‟t necessarily lead to a decrease
in injury and but may actually decrease performance. If one purpose of the warm-up is
to warm-up the body, wouldn‟t static stretching actually cool the body down? If static
stretching is not the solution to a pre-game warm-up what is? Dynamic stretching.
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8. Modern Stretching is great manual to learn more about static stretching. Its free.
A sports performance program could look like this:
Beginning- Dynamic warm up
Middle- Actual workout
End- Cool down/static stretching
Addition to the article-Nov 28th 2010
Since the original writing of this article the strength and conditioning industry seems to
have gone in another direction than no static stretching before exercise. Beyond that,
now many trainers incorporate foam rolling, static stretching and dynamic stretching
before exercise. The scientific principles mentioned above may still hold true but just
like other industries the knowledge we gain about improving and preparing our bodies
for exercise always changes to. So now your sports performance program would look
like this:
Beginning- Foam Roll, then static stretch, then Dynamic stretch
Middle- Actual Workout
End- Cool Down/ Static Stretch.
To expand your knowledge further on http://www.stretchingworld.com go to
www.stretchingworld.com
1. www.pponline.co.uk, So what about dynamic flexibility.
2. Rod Pope, 'Skip the warm-up,' New Scientist, 164(2214), p. 23
3. Gleim & McHugh (1997), 'Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and
performance,' Sports Medicine, 24(5), pp. 289-299.
4. Mick Critchell, Warm ups for soccer a Dynamic approach, page 5.
5. Rosenbaum, D. and E. M. Hennig. 1995. The influence of stretching and
warm-up exercises on Achilles tendon reflex activity. Journal of Sport
Sciences vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 481–90.
6. Knudson, D., K. Bennet, R. Corn, D. Leick, and C. Smith. 2000. Acute
Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical Jump.
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport vol. 71, no. 1 (Supplement), p. A-
30.
7. Tomas Kurz, www.scienceofsports.com,
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9. 8. Mann, Douglas, Jones Margaret 1999: Guidelines to the implementation of a
dynamic stretching routine, Strength and Conditioning Journal:Vol 21 No 6
pp53-55
9. www.cmcrossroads.com
10. Boyle, Mike, Functional Training for Sports, pg 29
11. Kurz, Tomas, Science of Sports Training, page 236
12. Hendrick, Allen, Dynamic Flexibility training, Strength and conditioning
Journal, Vol 22 no 5, Pgs 33-38.
13. Frederick Gregory 2001 Baseball Part 1 Dynamic Flexibility, Strength and
conditioning Journal Vol 23 No 1 Pages 21-30.
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