Should I Stretch Before or After I Warm Up?

You know that stretching is important before any type of exercise. But it also is to warm up your muscles. So, the question is “Before commencing any physical exercise, should a stretch follow a warm up, or is the warm up following the stretch?”

The answer is simple and straight forwards. Always warm up before you stretch. Never stretch cold muscles. This is because if your muscles are still cold and tight and you attempt to stretch them, you will have a greater chance of pulling them.

However, do not forget that a warm-up is very important for the stretch, as it gives your blood vessels a good workout, and it dilates them. This allows for greater flow of blood. Blood carries oxygen to the cells, thus your muscles are well supplied with oxygen after a good warm up.

Do not forget that when you warm up, your muscles do exactly that. They warm up. The core muscle temperature is raised allowing for optimal flexibility and in combination with the blood and oxygen flow, it also makes them more efficient. However, do not try to warm up your muscles quickly. By slowly raising your heart rate as part of your warm up routine, it will also help to minimise physical stress on your heart when you start your freestyle step workout. Don’t forget, your heart is also a muscle. I remember many times in my earlier years of exercising, that I used to get side stitches during my freestyle step class. Side stitches are a sign that I did not warm up properly, and the muscles telling me all about it

How to Do a Proper Warm-up

Now that I have put the fear of warm up in your head, the question that will most likely be circulating now is… “how do I properly warm up my muscles?”

To start with, do about 5 to 10 minutes of light aerobic exercise. A simple up and down the step will do just fine. However, you can make it even lighter by stepping side to side behind the step, or walking around it, or even just simple side to side tapping. You can include walking briskly, and work your way up to jogging slowly. Never rush your warm up!

The buzz word going around now days is “Dynamic Stretches”. But what is “Dynamic Stretching”. Dynamic stretching is a form of stretching that utilises momentum from form, as well as the momentum from static-active stretching strength, so you can propel the selected muscle into extending its range of motion. At no time, should any “Dynamic Stretches” muscle extension exceed the static-passive stretching ability of the person performing the stretch.

Some of these dynamic stretches include Walking Lunges or Step lunges, Step up/down, Kick side to side, forwards touch side to side from the step platform onto the floor, etc…

Stretching Tips:

Ok. Now you are warmed up. Now what?

Remember, you are stepping. Thus now that you are warmed up play attention at any area that may feel tight. Special attention to be given to your any muscle that helps your joints to function as they should in your legs, and feet.

Notice that I said “play attention to areas that may feel tight”. But, what if my muscles do not feel tight? Should I still stretch them. Well, it is up to you. If your muscles are warmed up, and they feel like the warm up did the stretching for you, it may not be necessary to stretch any further before you start your freestyle step class, although I strongly suggest that you do.

Saying that, keep your radar on and see if you feel tight or a muscle cramp coming on during the step routine, and if you do, it is not just fine to stop and stretch, it is strongly recommended that you do.. go to the side of the room and try some effective “cramp muscle prevention stretches” if your legs start cramping, such as

1. “Calf Stretches”
2. "Quad Stretches"
3. "Hamstring Stretches"

There are other basic tips that can assist you with your stretches. These are:

1. When stretching, do not bounce! Instead try to hold still on every stretch you perform for about 15 to 30 seconds.
2. Once you are reaching the limit of your muscle extension, you may start feeling some light discomfort. That is actually good. However if the discomfort becomes pain, never stretch through the pain. Only stretch to the point where you begin to feel tightness in the muscle. That is about it!. With time and repetitive practice, you will feel less muscle tension, until you can increase the stretch a bit more than last time, and only until you feel the same slight pull you had in previous days.
3. Do not get distracted and only get to stretch one side of your body. Always make sure stretching is equally distributed to both sides. Sometimes is a “catch 22”. You neglect to stretch your left calf, because you only felt tightness on you right one, thus only your right side was stretched. Not stretching your left calf can lead to tightness in that area, so be careful to stretch both sides equally.
4. Keep breathing while stretching, Don't hold your breath. Stay relaxed and breathe in and out slowly. Take deep belly breaths. That is keep your upper body straight and shoulders relaxed without slouching. If feeling tense, drop your arms and shake them about. Breath in through your mouth and push your stomach out while at the same time pushing down and out with your diaphragm. Your abdomen should feel expanding. Once you are breathing out, do it slowly. You can lay down on your back parallel to a gym mirror to see if you are breathing properly. You should be able to see your stomach raising with every breath, and falling with every exhale. Your chest should not be moving.
5. It is also a great time to stretch after your step workout. You can use a foam roller to roll out any tight areas, such as your quads, hamstrings, calves, etc….

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Disclaimer

You must get your physician's approval before beginning any exercise suggested in this blog. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting any suggestions in this blog, or if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity. The suggestions in this blog article are designed for individuals 18 years and older that have been approved by their physician to take any of the suggestions above.

The information in this blog article is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. As such we advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this blog article, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises and dietary programs in this article are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment or dietary regime that may have been prescribed by your physician.

Do not lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured, or fatigued. Do not perform any exercises unless you have been shown the proper technique by a certified personal trainer or certified strength and conditioning specialist. Always ask for instruction and assistance when lifting. Do not perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always do a warm-up prior to resistance training and interval training.

See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting any exercise program, including Freestyle Step Aerobics. If you experience any lightheadedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a physician.

You must have a complete physical examination if you are sedentary, if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, if you are overweight, or if you are over 30 years old. Please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or a registered dietician. If your physician recommends that you do not do Freestyle Step Aerobics, please follow your Doctor's orders.
 

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That was our January 2017. Remember to feel free to comment, or contact me via email to FreestyleStepXTRVGNZ@gmail.com, and comment on what you think of this article, or any article you have read, or just any improvements you may want to see happening.

Next month we will looking at the subject of "Applying Music to Step Aerobics" here we will looking at why is music so important when doing a Freestyle Step Aerobics Class.

Bruno Jimenez
January 2017

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