Dynamic, Static, and Ballistic Stretching

I really want to talk about stretching, what is the correct way to do so, and when is the best time to. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who still think that static stretching is the only way to get your body ready for a workout or competition. Which is definitely false. 

There are three types of stretching. Static stretching, dynamic stretching, and ballistic stretching. Static stretching is the form that most people probably think of when they hear the word "stretch", this is stretching without any movement. For example this would be seated toe touches, or tricep pulls. This sort of stretching is what should be performed after a workout not before. When we workout we get lactic acid build up in our muscles; this is what makes our muscles start to ache as we continue to run or lift. Static stretching helps release that lactic acid build up so that we don't get so sore. Hence you do static stretches at the end of your work out. 

Dynamic stretching is stretching with movement. Some dynamic stretches would consist of walking lunges, leg swings, walking quad pulls, arm circles, etc. This type of stretching should be done before a workout. It just makes more sense to warm up your body by doing a movement that is similar to ones that will be done durning a performance. Could you imagine trying to run a 100 meter sprint without doing any short sprints before the race? Or pitching a baseball full speed without doing some warm up throws? Recent studies have shown that athletes who do 20-30 minutes of dynamic stretching before a competition are less likely to get injured during their performance. 

The last type of stretching is one that is no longer done, or at least should no longer be done. Ballistic stretching is uncontrolled bouncing. An example of this would be a variation of standing toe touches where you bounce up and down to get a deeper stretch. The idea for these stretches was that with every bounce the athlete would be stretching farther. However, this is not the case; ballistic stretching is very bad for you. It puts a lot of pressure on your joints and ligaments. You can unintentionally hyper extend something and cause injury to yourself. It is even possible to pull a muscle.  

Strive to find knowledge.

-Sonya