Discover The New Way To Limber Up

Finished your workout before stretching off again? Don’t sweat it. There’s a new way to limber up!

Is it just us or does stretching lack flex appeal?

When it comes to things we want to do in the gym, loosening our limbs doesn’t often make it onto the wish list. We’d far rather swing a battle rope, pull up on bars, slide on the reformer or pound a slam ball. And we’re not the only ones. From lifting dumbbells before limbering up, to leaving a Spin class midway through the cool-down, plenty of fit folk are guilty of bypassing the stretch section of a workout.

‘The majority of people only give stretching a cursory effort, as they believe the hard work has been done,’ explains Richard Tidmarsh, founder of Reach Fitness (r4reach.com). ‘It’s still seen as the “ugly duckling” of fitness, but getting mobile before training, and stretching afterwards, is a key component of increasing performance.’ Heavier lifts, speedier sprints – stretching really has a lot to offer and should be given the kudos it deserves. But hitting the mat to do a few quad stretches won’t cut it. As a growing bank of data reveals, we may be stretching the wrong way. Notepads ready? It’s time to re-learn everything you thought you knew about this not-so-simple activity.

THE WARM-UP

There’s no doubt about it, a proper warm-up routine – one that increases blood flow to the muscles and tissue, while raising body temperature – will prime the body for exercise. But what constitutes pre-workout ‘stretching’ has changed. Where once the advice was to perform static stretches (holding a stretch for a period of time), the guide is now to avoid them ahead of working out because it could hinder performance. One study even reports stretching in this way could reduce strength by as much as 30 per cent. Far better to do dynamic stretches that mobilise muscles.