Begin your day with dynamic stretching instead of static stretching, as advised by a movement expert, due to its potential benefits.
Dr. Mallory Fox, a NASM master trainer and the owner of Foxy FIT, advocates dynamic stretching as a beneficial practice for improving mobility, reducing pain, and increasing flexibility. With a doctor of health science degree and a master of science degree in human movement, Dr. Fox uses dynamic stretching to help her clients prepare for physical activities, improve their mobility, reduce pain, decrease stress, and increase flexibility.
Dynamic stretching differs from traditional static stretching in that it actively moves muscles through a full range of motion without holding the stretch at the end position. This approach promotes blood flow, prepares joints and muscles for activity, and helps reduce stiffness by gently mobilizing tissues.
Benefits of Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching offers numerous benefits, including:
- Improved mobility: By moving joints through controlled, active ranges of motion, dynamic stretches enhance functional movement and joint flexibility.
- Pain reduction: Dynamic movements can decrease muscular tension and promote relaxation, which may alleviate discomfort especially when incorporated thoughtfully in rehabilitation.
- Increased flexibility: Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretching emphasizes active muscle elongation and neuromuscular control, which supports lasting flexibility gains over time.
Examples of Dynamic Stretches
Dr. Fox's dynamic stretching routine includes various exercises designed to target different areas of the body. Some examples include:
- Leg swings: Forward-backward and side-to-side leg swings help mobilize the hip joints.
- Arm circles: Circular arm movements help improve shoulder range.
- Walking lunges with torso twists: This exercise works the lower body and core, stretching hip flexors and engaging the abs.
- Thoracic rotations: On all fours, rotating the upper body helps enhance spinal mobility.
- Controlled squat-to-stand motions: These movements facilitate lower body and core activation.
These dynamic exercises align well with rehabilitation principles highlighted in clinical pelvic floor and core rehabilitation programs, where emphasis is placed on coordinated mobility, core activation, and controlled breathing to reduce pain and improve function.
Specific Dynamic Stretches
Lunge with a Twist
The lunge with a twist is a dynamic stretch that works on the lower body and core. To perform this exercise, step forward, assume a lunge position, twist the torso towards the front leg, and return to the starting position. This exercise stretches hip flexors, engages leg muscles, and fires up abs.
Arm Circles
The arm circle exercise involves making 2 sets of 15 (or 30 seconds) reps on each side while seated or standing. This exercise improves shoulder mobility and range of motion, benefiting posture, alignment, and injury prevention.
Leg Swings
Leg swings are a dynamic stretch that is the go-to move for improving hip mobility. This stretch is beneficial for those who sit a lot during the day and for runners preparing for their morning workout.
In summary, dynamic stretching as recommended by Dr. Mallory Fox helps enhance joint mobility, reduce pain by improving tissue pliability and neuromuscular function, and increase flexibility through active movement patterns that prepare the body for activity and rehabilitation. It is recommended to add the lunge with a twist exercise to a longer routine or follow it with a proper warm-up for optimal results.
- Dynamic stretching, as advocated by Dr. Mallory Fox, is a beneficial practice in the field of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, particularly in sports, as it improves mobility, reduces pain, and increases flexibility.
- The arm circle exercise, part of Dr. Fox's dynamic stretching routine, offers both scientifically backed benefits and practical applications, as it improves shoulder mobility and range of motion, essential for injury prevention and maintaining good posture and alignment.
- Dynamic stretches such as leg swings, jointly utilized in pelvic floor and core rehabilitation programs and by Dr. Fox, promote controlled mobility, core activation, and controlled breathing, thus reducing pain and improving function, as supported by science.
