Confusion about what stretching accomplishes, as part of the warm up, is causing
many to abandon stretching altogether. The key to understanding the role stretching
plays can be found in the previous sentence. But, you have to read it carefully.
Stretching, as part of the warm up!
Here's the key: Stretching is a critical part of the warm up, but stretching is
NOT the warm up.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that doing a few stretches constitutes a warm
up. An effective warm up has a number of very important key elements, which work
together to minimize the likelihood of sports injury and prepare the individual
for physical activity.
Identifying the components of an effective and safe warm up, and executing them
in the correct order is critical. Remember, stretching is only one part of an effective
warm up and its' place in the warm up routine is specific and dependant on the other
components.
The four key elements that should be included to ensure an effective and complete
warm up are:
- The general warm up
This phase of the warm up consists of 5 to 15 minutes of light physical activity.
The aim here is to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate, increase blood flow
and increase muscle temperature.
- Static stretching
Next, 5 to 15 minutes of gentle static stretching should be used to gradually lengthen
all the major muscle groups and associated tendons of the body.
- The sports specific warm up
During this phase of the warm up, 10 to 15 minutes of sport specific drills and
exercises should be used to prepare the athlete for the specific demands of their
chosen sport.
- Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force
a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce
or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.
Please note; dynamic stretching carries with it an increased risk of injury if used
incorrectly. Dynamic stretching is just as useful for muscular conditioning as it
is for flexibility, and is best suited for well trained athletes. Dynamic stretching
should be incorporated after a high level of general flexibility has been established.