One of the most crucial parts of exercising is warming up beforehand. However, there is one type of warm-up that can actually impact your workout and make it a lot less effective.
It’s pretty common knowledge for those who work out that warming up your body beforehand will help it adjust more easily to the workout you’re about to complete, whether it be strength-training, cardio, pilates, or some other form of exercise. There is still a right and wrong way to do it if you want to make the most out of your workout and also prevent your risk of injury. We spoke with fitness experts and trainers, including Dr. Sarah Bonza with Bonza Health and iFIT Master Trainer Paul Barreto, about a warm-up mistake that could be making your exercise and health journey more difficult. Read more about what they had to say below.
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Trainers Warn Against 'Static Stretching' As Your Only Warm-Up Before Working Out
Warming up before a workout is one of the most important steps you can take to prepare your body for movement. A proper warm-up will start by increasing your heart rate, getting blood flowing to your muscles, and loosening up any stiff joints. It's especially important if you haven't been moving around for most of the day. Skipping a warm-up can leave your muscles tight and unprepared, which makes it harder to get the most out of your workout.
Health experts have stated for decades that jumping straight into intense workouts can shock your body and make even simple exercises feel harder than they should. Therefore, getting in a good warm-up is key. But what makes a good warm-up and a bad one? Well, for starters, both Bonza and Barreto feel that only doing something called 'static stretching' can make things worse.
Static stretches are stretches where you hold a muscle in a lengthened position for a set amount of time, usually anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds. Instead of moving in and out of the stretch, you stay still and focus on gently pulling the muscle to the point of mild tension without bouncing. For instance, reaching down to touch your toes or pulling your arms across your chest are both examples of static stretching.
Why You Should Avoid Only Doing Static Stretches Before Workouts
Although doing these stretches can be a nice way to loosen up stiff arms and legs, as well as improve your mobility, trainers advise against them being the only warm-up you do before a workout.
"Static stretching relaxes muscles instead of activating them, which can decrease strength and power output," explains Bonza. "Additionally, skipping warm-ups altogether leaves your heart rate, muscles, and joints unprepared, increasing injury risk and lowering workout efficiency."
Barreto shares similar sentiments, noting that only doing static stretching "temporarily relaxes the muscles and tendons," which is "exactly the opposite of what you want before explosive movements like lunging, sprinting, or cutting."
"Static stretching before lifting or running blunts power output and increases the chance of tweaks," he continues.
Instead, both trainers suggest doing more dynamic warm-ups that require more than just standing and stretching.
"These are movements that raise your heart rate, elevate body temperature, and improve mobility while mimicking the patterns you're about to use," Barreto explains. "Instead of holding still in a stretch, you're moving — think leg swings, walking lunges with a twist, or hip circles. It's like preheating an oven: you don't throw in the cookies at 200°F and hope they bake. You heat it to the right temperature, so the real work comes out crisp."
