Guest Post! Getting the Most Out of Your Warm-Ups

Today's guest blog post about stretching comes from personal trainer Chris Chapman, a friend who suffered through Organic Chemistry with me this past spring. Chris will be guest blogging more in the future, so feel free to leave questions for him in the comments section...

Are you getting the most out of your warm-ups?

Before beginning a workout, whether it is a 3-mile trail run or an upper body strength day, you need prepare your body for the specific demands of that workout.  Done are the days where before we start exercising we do some arm circles, maybe a toe touch, and of course, the standing heel-to-butt quad stretch.

The best way to prepare the body for exercising is to use dynamic stretching (a.k.a. mobility drills).  Dynamic stretching is a sport-specific movement that prepares the body for exercise by actively moving a joint through range of motion used in your sport or activity.  Contrary to static stretching (holding a stretch for 15-30 seconds to lengthen a single muscle), dynamic stretching forces muscles to work together while raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to the muscles. 

You are wasting your time by walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes or running a couple of laps to “warm-up” the body and then picking a couple of stretches to hold for 15 seconds.  A proper warm-up should take 10-15 minutes, and most of that will come from dynamic stretches (remember these will increase your body temperature and blood flow).

Over the next couple of weeks I will tell you which dynamic stretches you should be using that will increase your mobility (the quality of your joint’s movement), reduce the chance of injury in your exercise, and best yet, improve your performance in your activity! 

ANKLE MOBILITY

One source of knee pain is poor ankle mobility.  If you do not have quality movement in your ankles, your knee becomes less stable and this increase in force on your knee can lead to pain.  Luckily there are drills you can do before you exercise that can decrease the stiffness in those ankles!  My two favorites are the Wall Ankle Mobilization Drill and the Rocking Ankle Mobilization.  Alternate which days you use each drill and perform 12 repetitions on each ankle.

Wall Ankle Mobilization

Eric Cressey does a great job of explaining this drill. 

Rocking Ankle Mobilization

In this drill it you want to rock back onto your heel as far as you can, and curl your toes up off the ground, then you will point your toes as straight as you can.

Check back soon to see my dynamic stretching recommendations for your hamstrings!

-Chris

Chris works at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts as a personal trainer where he helps clients with goals ranging from weight loss to athletic performance.  He graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in May 2010 with a BS in Kinesiology.  Chris is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).  In the fall of 2010, he completed his internship in the Rehabilitative Services department at the Fallon Clinic in Worcester, MA.  During his senior year, Chris worked as a Manager and Personal Trainer at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Residential Wellness Centers.