Stretch It Out: The Secret to Staying Strong, Flexible, and Injury-Free

By Sabrina Marr

The most important lesson I learned about stretching, is understanding that there are 2 main different types of stretching:

1. Dynamic Stretching - uses active movements to prepare the muscles for exercise.

2. Static Stretching - involves holding muscles in one position to increase flexibility after exercise and reduce muscle soreness from exercise.

And that lesson came with the realization that one is not better than the other, it’s just a matter of using both techniques at different times.

“Dynamic stretching can raise your core temperature and warm up the body. This helps improve circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body quickly and efficiently." Trainer Sabrina Marr

As a yoga instructor, I build my classes around those 2 fundamentals: The initial stretches always have dynamic components getting the whole body or a specific body part to move and stretch by repeating the movement; and the final stretches are done passively, mostly on the floor, by holding the pose longer.

The type of stretching you do — and when — is crucial to reducing your risk of injury and relieving sore muscles.

What Is Dynamic Stretching?

Its purpose is to warm up the body before exercise. When performing these stretches, you will move in a full range of motion, which improves mobility.

What are the benefits of dynamic stretching? It promotes mobility by strengthening the muscles and joints within that range of motion. An active movement done with dynamic stretching can also raise your core temperature and warm up the body, literally. This helps improve circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body quickly and efficiently. As your blood gets pumping, you may feel an energy boost, too!

Here's an example of dynamic stretching for leg muscles, ideal for a warm-up before a “leg-day workout:

Watch Sabrina Demonstrating a Dynamic Stretching

What Is Static Stretching?

Its purpose is to decrease stiffness in the joints and muscles after the body has been warmed up through exercise. In addition, it helps improve flexibility and the ability of the joint to extend through a range of motion without pain. This type of stretching is done by holding a certain position for an extended amount of time. It shouldn’t be done before exercise, but afterward or throughout the day, as it aids in cooling down the body and releasing tension.

What are the benefits of static stretching? It encourages better flexibility and releases tension in stiff muscles or joints. This slow and controlled movement is a great relaxation tool that can be used immediately after your workout or even later when you are relaxing on the couch or in bed. Performing static stretching post-exercise also reduces the risk of acute muscle strain injuries and can lessen DOMS.

Here are a few good static stretches for your back health:

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About Trainer Sabrina Marr

A certified RYT 500 and a passionate yoga instructor with diplomas from Zen Den Yoga School in Florida and the Yoga Foundation in India. Sabrina Marr grew up in the Swiss Alps and has been dedicated to a healthy lifestyle from an early age. As an elite athlete, competing in the Gymnastics World Championships, she focused on the physical, mental, and emotional components needed to achieve the serenity to compete at the highest levels. Sabrina teaches Yoga classes, Face yoga sessions, cardio classes, and leads meditation sessions on the Ola Ka Ola platform.