H3 Daily

Showing posts with label dynamic stretching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dynamic stretching. Show all posts

Friday, September 14, 2012

Fitness Friday: Devin’s Dash Dynamic Warm Up

Hey there, Hilton Head Health enthusiasts! Can you believe we are now only 8 days away from Devin’s Dash 2012?! We are geared up for another amazing race day. This year we expect close to 250 participants along with many of our past guest’s in attendance. It’s not only a morning to celebrate Devin’s life, but another opportunity for the entire Hilton Head Health family to reunite forces and catch up on old memories.

With that said, let’s get you ready for race morning. It’s imperative that you not only warm up before running a 5K, but you must also have a plan. Check out the video below for the OFFICIAL Devin’s Dash Dynamic warm up. Practice a few times before your running or walking this week, that way you’ll be prepared for race day. We’ll see you soon!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ask the Expert: What's the deal with stretching?

Q: Should I be stretching before or after my work out?

A: That’s a great question - and one I get on a daily basis!  In the past it’s been suggested that we should be stretching before we work out to help prevent injury.  However, recent research points to the importance of both the type of stretching and the timing of it in injury prevention and long term improvements in mechanics.  So, what are the 2 main types of stretching and when would you use them?

Dynamic Stretching:  Stretching using speed of movement, momentum and active muscular effort to bring about a stretch.  Dynamic Stretching also increases the blood flow to the target muscle and tissue helping enhance pliability.  It’s ideal before a work out.  Examples would include:  High knees, hamstring curls (kick butts), straight leg kicks, lunges, etc.  Check out this blog on Dynamic Stretching.

Static Stretching:  Holding a stretch using body weight or some other external force.  This activates sensors within the muscles and tendons signaling them to adapt to the increased tension.  Static Stretching produces the best long term gains in flexibility.  It’s important that static stretches are performed only when the muscle fibers are warm and filled with blood.  Thus, you should be doing static stretches after your workout.  Watch the video below for basic stretches and guidelines.