Flexibility is one of the five health-related components of fitness and a vital component of functional health. When your range of motion is restricted, it becomes more challenging to do daily activities such as raising your arms overhead to retrieve objects from up high or bending over to pick something up off the floor. Poor flexibility has also been associated with a higher risk of falling and resulting injuries, emphasizing the need to maintain a good range of motion throughout the aging process.
There are numerous methods for maintaining and increasing the range of motion, including yoga, Pilates, specific weight training, and even foam rolling. Still, traditional stretching remains a go-to approach for working on flexibility. The catch is that there are many different types of extensions. The more research continues, experts are learning more about when and how to incorporate every stretching and whether certain types of stretching are appropriate for different times, activities, or specific populations.
Two stretching strategies considered go-to approaches for flexibility training have begun to fade. You want to think carefully about how to apply them to your activity and when they’re most appropriate to employ. Here’s everything you need to know about static and ballistic stretching.
Basics of Static Stretching
Most people think of static stretching when they hear “stretched.” You enter a stretch, hold it for 10 to 60 seconds, then release it before going on to the next time.
When executing a standing quadriceps stretch, for example, you bend one knee, elevate your foot off the ground, grab the elevated foot with your opposite hand, and drag your heel toward your buttocks, holding the posture until you feel a wonderful stretch down the thigh of your lifted leg.
Static stretching is not intrinsically harmful and is an efficient strategy to maintain and improve the range of motion. However, contrary to popular opinion, a 2015 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism discovered that static stretching before an exercise does not always lessen the probability of injury.
Furthermore, according to a 2014 study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, stretching before exercise may reduce performance in strength training or other types of exercise that demand explosive force, such as sprinting or jumping. As a result, a pre-workout static stretch could be better for many demographics, particularly athletes and others who rely on power-based training.
Stretching does not have a role; it does, but for the most benefit—namely, to maintain or enhance range of motion—static stretching should be performed after an exercise or as its program following a short warm-up. In either case, this method allows you to work on flexibility. At the same time, your muscles are warm and malleable, better preparing you to move to the end (or past!) of your normal range of motion controlled and safely.
Ballistic Stretching Fundamentals
Ballistic stretching is another type that has been called into question by recent studies due to the possibility of harm. You’ve tried ballistic stretching at some point in your life. Consider your early school days for a moment. If your physical education teacher ever led you through the “butterfly stretch,” you most likely did it ballistically.
While the practice has begun to alter, many physical education teachers used to instruct their students to:
Sit on the floor and bring your feet’s soles together.
Extend your knees so that your outer thighs reach for the ground.
Bring your heels as close to your torso as possible.
Stretch your groin by bouncing your knees should be up and down like a butterfly flapping its wings.
The last cue, “bounce your knees up and down,” distinguishes this as a ballistic stretch.
In essence, ballistic stretching is a type of stretching in which you use velocity, force, or gravity to continually push your body above its natural range of motion. On the surface, it appears beneficial, and athletes and dancers utilize it to improve their flexibility. However, it is a more complex practice best left to high-level athletes with the necessary control and finesse to engage in ballistic motions without risking injury.
Because of the ballistic nature of the procedure, there are few meaningful advantages for the regular exerciser (compared to other forms of stretching) and a higher comparative risk of muscle pulls or tears. It should be used lightly (if at all) in a standard stretching practice.
Active Stretching Is Not the Same as Ballistic Stretching
However, it is vital to emphasize that ballistic and active stretching are not the same. These two types of extension because neither involve holding stretches for an extended amount of time. However, there are significant discrepancies between the methodologies.
Active stretching (also known as dynamic stretching) is a stretching in which you controllably move your joints through their complete range of motion, not holding the stretch when ending the spectrum. Arm circles, leg swings, deep walking lunges, and deep air squats, for example, are considered kinds of active stretching before beginning your workout.
Active stretching differs from ballistic stretching in that there are no jumping or jerking motions to drive your joints above their natural range of motion; instead, you push your body to its limits in a controlled and continuous manner.
Active stretching has increased in popularity because studies, such as the one listed above, show that it is more successful than static stretching at preparing your body for activity, boosting performance, and minimizing the probability of injury. Especially true if you’re doing active stretches that resemble the motions you’ll be doing during your workout and doing high knees and butt kicks, for example, preparatory to a jogging exercise.
Static Stretching vs. Ballistic Stretching
Remember that each is good for distinct situations and populations when comparing static and ballistic stretching. Because of its controlled nature and effectiveness at maintaining and improving range of motion, static stretching can benefit all persons, including older adults, especially when practiced after an exercise routine.
Due to its more complex methodology, ballistic stretching is only appropriate for some groups. As a result, it should only be used by highly accomplished athletes or dancers or those who have had plenty of practice practicing the procedure safely. If you need to figure out whether you fit into the category, continue with static stretching.
Recommended Practices
The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines provide at least two to three sessions involving weekly flexibility training for adults. These sessions should target all major muscle groups and take your joints through their range of motion.
While you must select how to add flexibility exercise into your weekly routine, here are a few safe and practical ideas:
As part of your warm-up regimen, perform active stretching before aerobic and weight exercises. Choose dynamic stretches that train the same muscle groups and joints as your aerobic or strength exercise. Suppose you intend to execute weighted squats, for example. In that case, a series of deep air squats can assist in preparing your body for the weighted version.
Stretch passively after your cardio or strength-training activities. Concentrate on your critical joints and muscle groups for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat each stretch for 60 seconds per joint and muscle group. For example, if you hold a quad stretch for 30 seconds, release it and repeat it twice for 60 seconds. A typical total-body stretching program that targets all main muscle groups should take about 10 minutes.
Move your joints throughout their range of motion during static and dynamic stretching, but avoid straining them past their limits. There should be some discomfort at the end of your range of motion, but it should not be unpleasant. If you feel any pain, take a step back.
Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, or barre include flexibility training.
When in doubt, stick to static and active stretching.
Finally, we may state that most people do not extend enough. Keep it accessible if you’re unsure when and how to incorporate stretching into your hectic schedule.
Begin by attempting to get the prescribed 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity per week. Add 10 minutes of static stretching after two 20- or 30-minute aerobic sessions per day. You may get started by reading a simple guide.