Stretching is grossly underrated, guys. For too many people, stretching muscles before a workout is seen as an unnecessary prefix for exercising the main activity — in fact, a 2021 survey published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed that about 50% of people don't stretch before a workout (although the results do show that more than 70% of respondents stretch after a workout). But no matter what sport you play, the benefits of stretching before a workout to warm up and prepare for exercise cannot be overstated. Whether you're a runner or a strength athlete, warming up is very important. They are great for getting your body ready for exercise and also give you a chance to check your state mentally and physically.
Not only does a good stretch feel good, but doing so before a workout improves flexibility and prepares your muscles by expanding their range of motion before you go all out – which can improve your performance and limit the risk of injury. However, if you're used to jumping right into a workout routine without stretching, you might be a little confused and don't know where to start. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here are the best stretches you can do before a workout.
Downward Facing Dog. 
If you're getting ready to hit the gym, few stretches will prepare you better than downward facing dogs. This basic yoga pose is reported to stretch multiple parts of the body, targeting and activating your hands, arms, back, calves, hamstrings, and feet. Due to its inverted nature, downward facing facing dog is also particularly useful as a pre-workout stretch. Senior yoga teacher Weissman said in an interview: "All handstand poses, which are with the heart above the head, promote blood flow and help inject vitality and calm into the body. ”
To do a downward facing dog, start with your hands and knees and lay your limbs on top of each other under your hips and shoulders. Place your toes on the ground and push your body up and down until your butt is in the air and your legs are straight. Keep your heels sinking to the floor as much as possible and make sure your quadriceps remain active so you don't put too much pressure on your upper body. To increase the extension of your hamstrings, you can push the ground with your feet.
Side-bending lunges.
If you're a runner, you'll be familiar with those stiff first steps out the door. However, stretching before running is an important step to ensure that your workout is safe and effective. "With a proper warm-up, you can reduce the likelihood of injury and also give yourself enough time to mentally prepare for the load you are about to bear," said personal trainer Fiztierer in an interview. "By increasing blood flow to your legs and body, and warming up your joints, you'll be better able to race on the track.
Side-bend lunges warm up one leg at a time. With your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips, take a big step forward. Bend your front knee until your thighs are parallel to the floor, making sure your knees don't reach over your calves. Once you're in a lunge position, place your arms on the other side of your body (so if you're walking forward with your right arm, left arm, or vice versa), raise it above your head and lean it over your body, feeling the stretch on both sides of your body. Hold for a few seconds, return to a standing position, and repeat on the other side.
Seated with the neck extended.
When we exercise, we tend to focus our attention on the bigger muscles. But we also need to make time to take care of our smaller muscles, even if we don't target them in the gym. When we exercise, our neck muscles relax a lot, usually due to incorrect posture, which can lead to neck pain and strains. Stretching the neck can relieve neck discomfort or tension that we feel from exercising and daily life, Self says.
The seated neck hug stretch will target the back of your neck, specifically the trapezius muscles, while also providing stretch to your upper back. First, sit on a chair or floor with your upper body straight. Hold your hands behind your head and press gently to feel the stretch on the nape of your neck. Take a deep breath, hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, and relax. If you find that both hands are too much, you can also do stretching exercises with one hand.
Cat stretch type. 
We make no secret of the fact that we have a lot of time to do stretches with animal names. Not only is the cat stretch great because it's named after your favorite furry friend, it also gives your back a powerful stretch. Cat stretching helps activate your spine area, which tends to be heavily involved in a range of workouts, from lifting weights to running, helping to improve flexibility and prevent injuries.
When starting the cat stretch, make sure your hands are under your shoulders and your legs are under your hips. As you exhale, slowly move around your back, allowing the center of your spine to move up to a semicircular position. Then inhale, then press down, arching your back in the opposite direction while passing through your spine. Repeat ten times.
Cobra pose. 
Whenever we exercise, our abs are almost always engaged, whether we are directly targeting them or not. This set of muscles, including our oblique, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis muscles, helps to achieve correct, healthy movement, supports our spine, and relieves unnecessary stress on the back. That's why warming up before exercise is crucial, and dynamic stretching helps provide flexibility to the area. Cobra Pose is the ideal move for this, with considerable stretching through the abs and hips.
Lie face down on the floor and start your cobra pose. For comfort, we recommend that you have an exercise mat underneath you (so you don't stick your face straight into the floor). Place your palms down on the floor next to your chest on either side of your body and gently push your upper body off the floor with your palms to stretch your abs. At the top of the asana, hold the stretch for about 20 seconds, then gently bring yourself back to the ground and repeat a few times.
Controlled hip rotation.
Stretching before exercise isn't just about building our muscles, it's about taking time to work our joints. Before a workout, it's especially important to work on larger joints, such as the hips, especially if you're doing exercises that will have a significant impact on them. For runners, controlled hip rotation will give your hips the help they need. Certified personal trainer and running coach Fiztimeler said in an interview: "These can help you assess and improve your range of motion and lubricate your hip joints. They also increase flexibility, which is not only good for your immediate workouts, but also for your joint health in the long run. ”
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lift one leg from your knee until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Place your hands on your hips and begin to slowly rotate your thighs outward from your body, keeping your core moving to maintain balance. If it helps, imagine your knees drawing a big circle and make sure you move in your hips. Repeat ten times, then switch to the other side, alternating back and forth for a minute or two.
Bird dog style. 
Stretching as a pre-workout warm-up is a great way to prepare for a workout without overdoing it too early. Physical therapist Dennis said: "Warming up shouldn't be stressful and shouldn't strain your muscles. "Importantly, certain stretches help our bodies activate certain functions that help us reach the full potential of our workouts. One of these features is core stability, which allows us to maintain our form during physical activity.
Bird Dog Pose can help you do just that. Get on your knees with your hands and knees while extending your body forward and backward with one arm and the other leg respectively. Make sure your back is flat and your hips don't rotate. Then, pull your knees and elbows into your body so that they touch each other while activating your abs. Return your limbs to an extended position and repeat the movement several times. Finally, do the same on the other side.
Arm wrapping. 
If you want to increase strength in your arms and shoulders, strength training is a great way to do it. But before you add that weight, you'd better make sure you're getting a good stretch. "When you do strength training, your muscles shorten and lengthen, and if they're not warmed up or prepared, your muscle groups are more likely to tear and strain," says personal trainer Burrell. "A good upper body stretch warm-up can also make your body warmer. Your body temperature will rise, making it easier for your muscles to move, which will improve your performance.
Dynamic stretching, arm loops can help prepare your arms and shoulders before picking up dumbbells. Stand comfortably with your feet apart and your arms raised at your sides so that they are parallel to the floor. Gently rotate your arms clockwise, imagine you draw circles with your hands, about 20 times or so, and repeat in the opposite direction.
Kneel and stretch. 
Going for a run? Ladies and gentlemen, you must stretch your limbs. Physical therapist Holland says, "When the leg touches the ground, the quadriceps control the deceleration. Without them, you're basically going to fall. "If you don't do some stretching exercises beforehand to prepare your quadriceps, they won't be able to withstand the impact of your feet hitting the ground. Ideally, Holland says, you want to stretch your quadriceps big enough so that your muscles feel relaxed and ready when you start running.
One of the quickest ways to get your quadriceps ready before taking the first step is to stretch on your knees. Start in a kneeling position with one foot in front of you and your feet flat on the floor. Gradually lean forward into your front knee and move your body forward so that a quarter of your back leg is extended. Hold this position for half a minute, then switch legs. If the knee on the back leg feels uncomfortable when it comes into contact with the floor, you can put a cushion underneath. To intensify the stretch, you can grab the foot of the hind leg and gently pull in the direction of the body.
Stretching side lunges.
It may not be enough to just stretch before we exercise – the most important thing is how we stretch. "We know from research that just static stretching can sometimes inhibit muscle activity, which can limit the exercise we are about to do," says physicist Flaboni. Instead, it is advisable to warm up with dynamic stretching, which encourages full-body muscle movement to keep it in a state of readiness. “
Lateral lunges with stretching ability activate almost your entire body, preparing your upper and lower body for movement with sustained movement. Start by placing your feet in a wide position. Take one hand and stretch it down toward the other foot while moving to one side. Move to the other side and repeat with the other hand and foot, alternating movements, stretching at a good speed for about 60 seconds.
Seated gluteus maximus extension.
How often do you stretch your glutes? We bet it's not enough – especially before a workout. But considering how involved your glutes are in the exercise, muscle groups are involved in almost every lower body movement, stretching the glutes before exercise is essential to ensure adequate blood flow throughout the area and increase its range of motion.
Doing gluteus stretches while sitting couldn't be easier. Sit on the floor with your legs in front so that they are flat on the ground. Fold one leg on top of the other leg's knee. While doing this, make sure that your back is not bent. Pull up the ankle of the folded leg slightly, then gently stretch forward for better activation through the gluteus maximus. For further stretching, you can bend your legs on the floor. Hold the stretch for about 20 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Since sitting on the floor can be difficult for some people, try a yoga mat or mat if you need some extra help.
Lunges stretch the calves.
You may have overlooked an important muscle group: your calves. Ottie, Barry Camp Coach and Certified Personal Trainer, said, "People tend to forget to stretch smaller muscles that are farther away from the torso. "Unfortunately, tightness in the calf muscles can have some significant impact on our training, from limiting our flexibility in certain sports, such as squats, to increasing our likelihood of injury, such as shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.
Before exercising, Otti says, nip these problems in the bud by stretching your calves — stretches that are easy to achieve anywhere, at any time. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your palms on a solid surface like a wall (or on your hips). Step one foot back about a foot and place it so that your leg is straight. Then gently bend your front leg and press your back heel to the ground. If you want to do deeper stretches, you can pull your feet back further. Hold for about 20 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Donkey kicks. When you choose a stretch before a workout, you may want to choose an exercise that stretches multiple parts of your body at the same time to maximize efficiency. With donkey kick stretching, you will simultaneously activate your core muscles, shoulders and glutes to reach a state of self and get blood pumping from the dynamic properties of stretching. You can also briefly pretend to be a donkey, which can be funny.
Starting with your hands and knees, pay attention to your core and make sure it is activated. With your feet bent, lift one leg up behind you, keeping your knees bent until your thighs are aligned with your body. Pay attention to any arch in your lower back – it should always be straight – and avoid letting your hips rotate too much. Hold this position briefly at the top, then bring your knees back to the floor. Repeat five times for each leg.
The curved arm wall is extended.
Whether in exercise or in everyday life, neglecting to stretch your pectoral muscles can lead to tight pectoral muscles and limited movement. It can also lead to tighter shoulders and worse posture. What's more, you'll be able to train more easily by introducing movements that create flexibility before training.
Bend the arm wall stretch and focus on one side of the chest at a time. Stand by a wall or doorway. Place one of your arms on a wall or door frame with your upper arm at a 90-degree angle to your body. Place the other leg in front of the other leg, lean forward, and stretch through your chest. Hold this stretch for about 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Stretching exercises