As I gradually ramp up my work as a personal trainer, I find one of the most misunderstood things is how to stretch - and more important, how NOT to stretch! Many of us learned to stretch in the '80s and '90s, when coaches and workout instructors had us sitting like pretzels seemingly for eons, and then jumping up suddenly and blasting across a field (or pool, or whatever). Ouch! I always felt my muscles were sluggish and even fatigued during this process, until I warmed up into a movement pattern. I thought this was just because I'm the slow-twitch type.

...Alas, my body was right; the coaches were wrong! Most traditional, sustained stretching should NOT be done before a workout - only afterwards.

The New York Times explains static (or sustained) versus dynamic stretching, and why you should do static stretching pre-exercise.

While this article is excellent and accurate, it's only a partial truth; it does not mention functional stretching, or describe in detail all the various types of stretching. For a more rounded perspective, see my article on the various types of stretching, and benefits/drawbacks of each. I've included the movement prep series I do before every bike and run session, even before I jog or get on the bike. Of course, each sport or activity has its own lexicon of specific stretches and warm-up movements; a ballet dancer would not do the same warmup a soccer player would!

I'm convinced that I've stayed injury-free and physicall functional largely due to my core strength and movement prep habit. I also suspect that the reason I've been able to pop out and cruise through several half-ironman races this year with about a 50% training level is that I continue to do core strength and movement prep every day, regardless of whether I'm doing a workout. I stretch in bed and on the stairs in the morning, in front of the TV, in the grocery store line, wherever. There are plenty of "dead" minutes to be taken advantage of, if you don't mind looking a little goofy in public sometimes.