Common Types of Warm-up Before Exercise

The movement before and after exercising is stretching. Usually, people will do stretching movements before doing the core exercise, but stretching can also be done after exercising. Stretching in addition to increasing body flexibility can also increase your range of motion and also avoid the risk of injury.

Not all exercises require the same stretching movements. Warm-up movements from one sport are certainly different from movements from other sports, depending on the needs of each sport. Here are the types of stretching that are commonly done for body flexibility.

Static Stretching

This static type of stretching is quite challenging. However, if you do static stretching regularly, your body will feel comfortable. You can do this stretching between 10 to 30 seconds. Static stretching is the most commonly used stretch of all stretches because it is considered the most effective stretching to increase your overall body flexibility. Besides, many experts say that static stretching has more benefits than dynamic stretching. Static stretching can increase your range of motion in functional motion in sports and in carrying out daily activities.

Static stretching is a movement to stretch the muscles that can be done slowly until you will feel tension and pain due to the pull of the muscles you are stretching. You can maintain a static stretching position for anywhere from 8 to 16 seconds. So you can stretch while doing a one-eight or two-by-eight count. In doing static stretching movements, it is expected to do it seriously, so that the flexibility of the body can be increased.

When you do static stretching, there are many things you need to pay attention to. The first is after the muscle feels tight, then stop for a while, then start again until it hurts a little, then stop again. Stretch to the extent of the pain you can tolerate. Don’t stretch if the pain is too extreme. You can also maintain the static warm-up motion for 8 to 16 seconds. Relax the body and the part of the muscles that you are stretching. Don’t be too tense and stiff so that the space for your muscles that can be stretched has a wider reach. When you are doing a static warm-up, inhale and exhale as normal. Don’t be too restrained. After completing one form of stretching, return to the original posture slowly so that the muscles do not contract.

Static stretching that you do regularly can develop flexibility. Static stretching is widely used for physical fitness training. When compared to dynamic stretching, static stretching also has a better advantage. These advantages are as follows

1. Static stretching can relax the antagonist’s muscles. The antagonist’s muscles are muscles that work in reverse. If the muscle first contracts, then the muscle
2. opposite is relaxing.
3. Less risk of injury.
4. Can save energy.
5. Can allow muscle lengthening,
6. Static stretching can be used to avoid pain after strenuous exercise.

Dynamic stretching

Apart from static stretching, there is also such a thing as dynamic stretching. Although dynamic, these stretches require a higher degree of coordination between body parts than static stretches. This stretch is very popular with sportsmen, coaches, instructors, and physical therapists because of its benefits in increasing the functional range of motion and mobility in sports and in carrying out various activities in everyday life.

Dynamic stretching has another name, namely rhythmic stretching. Apart from being useful for warming up, movements in dynamic stretching exercises can also be used for flexibility training or as body flexibility. In contrast to static stretching, dynamic stretching exercises are performed with rhythmic movements. This rhythmic movement, for example, rotates or bounces the limbs so that the body feels stretched. This dynamic stretching motion aims to gradually increase the space for the muscles and joints of the body to move.

There are several steps for a dynamic warm-up or stretch that you can do in order. These movements are:

• Stand straight with your arms straight out in front of you and squeeze your fingers repeatedly.
• Then kick your right and left leg alternately and as high as you can.
• Then stand straight and spread your legs 45 degrees apart. Place both hands on the waist and rotate the hips to the right twice. Then turn it to the left twice. Repeat this movement while counting eight times. After that, the next movement is to sleep on your stomach, back up, then raise your head and chest as high as possible. Repeat this movement up to eight times.

There are many benefits that you can get if you do dynamic stretching exercise activities regularly every day. Dynamic stretching is useful for warming up before exercise. Dynamic stretching is usually performed by athletes. If you do dynamic stretching in the morning, it can stretch your muscles after a long sleep. This dynamic stretching in addition to increasing the flexibility of the body can also make circulation smooth so that blood vessels are well maintained and can strengthen your heart muscle. The results obtained will also be maximized if balanced with eating healthy and nutritious foods.

Passive Stretching

Passive stretching is stretching that uses some kind of outside assistance to help you achieve the stretch. These aids can range from as simple as tightening our bodies, ropes, gravity, other people, or stretching devices. To do this passive stretch you can relax your muscles and try to stretch, relying on outside forces to hold and help you. You usually don’t always have to work very hard on this stretch, but you always need to remember that the external force will be stronger than you, so it could cause injury if you are not stronger than the external force.

Active stretching

Apart from passive stretching, there is also active stretching. Active stretching is stretching that stretches a muscle which involves contracting the muscle as opposed to what you are stretching. In passive stretching, you don’t use your body, rope, gravity, other people, or stretching devices as in passive stretching. You will experience relaxing muscles that you will stretch inactive stretches and rely on other muscles to start the stretch. Active stretching is one of the most challenging stretches. Why are you challenging? Because muscle strength is needed to produce stretch. However, this is low risk because you rely on your strength rather than external forces and can prevent injury from occurring. But with a note, if you always remember the limits of your own body’s capabilities.

Isometric Stretching

Apart from static, dynamic, active, and passive stretching, there is also isometric stretching. In isometric stretching, you resist stretching by pulling the muscles into position. For example, suppose your partner holds your leg up high when you try to pull it in the opposite direction. Isometric stretching is the safest and most effective method of stretching the joints of motion. Isometric stretches can also strengthen tendons and ligaments while maintaining flexibility.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

The last stretch is Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, abbreviated as PNF. PNF This is the type that combines isometric, static, and passive stretches to increase the flexibility of your muscles. PNF This is a further form of flexibility training and can help you gain strength.