After my mock meet in February, I took a week off as a deload week to give my body and mind time to reset before diving into offseason. During my week-long break, I focused on doing light movements, static and dynamic stretches so I wouldn’t feel restless. I find that if I don’t move at all and remain sedentary for some time, my head feels heavy and body is achy. It did feel weird not going to the gym, I really didn’t know what to do with all that extra time! Nevertheless, keeping my body moving made the difference and allowed my body the rest it needed.
It’s been two years and counting of working from home (WFH). For me, it’s the norm now. I’m no longer going back to the office and I had to make some changes. I had to purposely create an active routine for my WFH lifestyle. One of the ways that I have done this is by doing stretches in the mornings regardless if I am training or now.
What Are Dynamic Stretches?
In simple terms, you move while you stretch. Therefore, dynamic stretches are the ways in which we move our bodies from one place to another by using our muscles. This includes moving side to side, back to front, diagonally and rotationally. They are an excellent way to warm up and get the blood flowing in the body. Movements such as jumping, skipping, sliding, turning, and diving all count as dynamic. What is amazing about these stretches is that you don’t even have to be an athlete to benefit from them!
Example of Dynamic Exercises
Before I perform any dynamic exercises, I always warm up with some light cardio for 5 minutes to help raise my body temperature and heart rate as preparation. I have two separate dynamic warm up for upper body days and lower body days.
Here are some examples of dynamic stretches to add to your next upper body day:
- Arm Swings
- Band Pull Aparts
- Spinal Rotations
- Band Pullovers
- Shoulder Retractions
Here are some examples of dynamic stretches to add to your next lower body day:
- Leg Swings (front to back, side to side)
- Box Jumps
- Fire Hydrants, Glute Kickbacks, Glute Bridges (great for glute activations too!)
- Hollow Rocks
- Hip Circles
Benefits of Dynamic Exercises
Okay, hear me out! I know that you know that you need to train, eat well and do all the other stuff in order to grow muscle. I like to know why I’m doing what I’m doing and its benefits. I’m Nigerian, I don’t like to do useless things and I know that you don’t like to either! Let’s get into the benefits of dynamic stretches.
- It increases your heart rate and blood flow in the muscles and brain (more nutrients and oxygen are sent to the muscles!)
- They increase your body temperature
- It improves range of motion which makes the tendons and muscles more elastic
- They help activate your brain and your nerves which helps improves coordination and movement patterns.
All these benefits together will improve your performance in and outside the gym, and decrease the risk of injury.
Dynamic vs. Static
Now you what dynamic stretches are, the benefits and how to use them on upper and lower body days. You are set to have a great start to your workouts and training programmes. Static stretches, where you stay in place while you stretch, still have an important role and should be used for cooling down after you train. A lot of people skip this part but don’t let that person become you. These stretches are a great signal to your body that you have finished training and ready to bring your heart rate and body temperature back down to normal levels.
I’ve done my time, I have paid my dues and I’m reaping the benefits of including both dynamic and static stretches in my training. I’m never going to stray away from these as I’ve learnt the hard way before. My body feels so much stronger and agile as I make these a non-negotiable everyday. You will feel the same way too if you stick with them.
Until next time,
Folakemi
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