Dynamic Vs. Static Stretch:
How to make sure you’re doing them right!
by Katie Groven
Ever feel like you’re doing everything you can to help your athletes improve their performance, but it’s just not clicking?
You know stretching is crucial—not just for flexibility, but for injury prevention and boosting overall performance. But even with all the stretching, it sometimes feels like nothing’s happening, or maybe there’s just a tiny bit of progress over a really long time.
I get it. It’s frustrating. But you’re not alone—I get asked about stretching all the time.
Here’s the thing: it might be that your athletes need more targeted stretches at specific times. Stretches that focus on warming up the body or improving flexibility in the right way at the right moment.
Let’s dig into it.
What is Dynamic Stretching?
Dynamic stretching is all about movement—controlled, natural movement that stretches muscles gradually. And no, I don’t mean bouncing or yanking yourself into a stretch. Think of something like leg swings. When your athletes do these, they’re activating their hip flexors (the muscles at the front of their thighs) while stretching their hamstrings (on the back of the thigh).
It’s like stretching through movement.
Dynamic stretches are super effective at the start of practice because they warm up the muscles. Just like athletes put on the right gear to prep the outside of their bodies, dynamic stretching preps the inside—getting those muscles ready for the hard work ahead.
How Does Dynamic Stretching Work?
The number one goal of a warm-up is to get the body primed for the movements it’s about to tackle. Dynamic stretches help stabilize muscles and get the full range of motion (ROM) going. You can choose dynamic stretches that target specific muscle groups depending on the sport or activity you’re doing.
Think of it like a rehearsal—your athletes are “marking” their muscles before they fully perform the movement.
A few of my go-to dynamic stretches are:
- Hip flexor stretches
- Butterfly stretch
- Half pigeon
Why Dynamic Stretching is a Game Changer
Dynamic stretching doesn’t just warm up the body—it gets the brain and muscles on the same page. It’s like an alarm clock for your muscles, gently waking them up for explosive movements like jumps or sprints. Plus, it saves time. Instead of spending 30 minutes on slow stretching, you can fit in 10 minutes of dynamic stretching, and your athletes will be better prepared to perform at their best.
It engages muscles from head to toe, allowing them to expand and contract safely and effectively, so flexibility improves over time.
For Dancers... Let’s use a leg swing as an example. Dancers should keep their legs as straight as possible when they lift their leg into the air. When your dancers do this, they activate their hip flexors (the muscles right above the front of the thigh) while stretching their hamstrings (muscles on the back of the thigh). It stretches the muscles through the movement.
What is Static Stretching?
Static stretching is what most people picture when they think about stretching—holding a position for a certain period of time, like sitting in a split or touching your toes. It’s the perfect cool-down technique at the end of practice when the body is warm and ready to stretch further.
By the time practice wraps up, your athletes’ muscles are tired but pliable, making static stretching the safest and most effective at this point.
I remember doing static stretches as part of our warm up when I was a young dancer. But now we’ve learned that this isn’t the best advice. The good news is that there’s a simple fix – switch them to the last few minutes of each class. And watch your dancers sink lower into their splits.
Why Static Stretching Works
- Flexibility: Static stretching is fantastic for increasing flexibility, as long as the muscles are properly warmed up. It helps athletes stretch just a little further each time.
- Recovery: Static stretches relax the muscles, helping with recovery and preventing injury. It’s like giving the muscles a deep, relaxing breath after hard work.
It’s totally possible to help your athletes become stronger, more flexible, and more powerful.
- Dynamic stretches should be used at the start of practice to get the brain and body ready for action.
- Static stretches should be done at the end of practice, when the body is warm, to improve flexibility and aid recovery.
Think of static stretching as a deep breath for the muscles. It relaxes them and aids your dancers in recovery.
Both types of stretching take just a few minutes to incorporate, and they’ll make a world of difference in your athletes' performance.
Ready to help your athletes crush it?
Ready to help your dancers become stronger, more flexible, and powerful in their movements?
Let’s Recap It’s 100% possible to help your dancers become stronger and more flexible.
Remember to do dynamic stretches at the beginning of class so the brain, muscles, and body are ready for what’s about to happen – dancing. Save static stretches for the end of class when the body is nice and warm.
This helps your athletes and dancers improve flexibility which improves overall ability. Both save time on stretching and only take a few minutes to incorporate into each practice session. It’s a win win.
Katie Groven is an ACSM certified personal trainer, holistic health coach and two time world champion dancer. She is the creator of dancer-fitness.com an online exercise database designed to transform competitive dancers into athletic powerhouses. She has combined her 25 years of dance and her expertise in fitness to empower dancers of all ages to view themselves as athletes and gives them the tools to increase their strength, endurance, injury prevention, and overall performance. Katie travels the country cross training teams and studios including Larkin Dance Studio, home to World of Dance finalists Eva Igo, Ellie and Ava Wagner and The Trilogy. When she’s not training individual dancers or teams she’s spending quality time with her husband Chris, daughters Hazel and Amelia or growing her collection of Converse shoes.
Katie is also a Doctors For Dancers specialist and regular blog contributor for More Than Dancers, The Line Up. Listen to Katie speak about simple and effective ways to strength train dancers on the Dance Boss Podcast (Ep.56) Count me in Podcast (Ep.68) and Dance Studio 411 Podcast (Ep.30)
Instagram @dancer_fitness.com_
Facebook @dancerfitnesssocial
Website dancer-fitness.com
