In Short
- Static stretching before a race might actually slow you down. Research suggests holding a stretch for too long can sedate the muscle and reduce explosive power, which is the last thing you want before a sprint or a heavy lift.
- Dynamic stretching wakes up the nervous system. By moving joints through their range of motion actively, we improve dynamic balance and prepare the body for the chaotic demands of sport.
- Balance is for everyone. A recent study on wrestlers showed that dynamic warm-ups significantly improved balance performance, a critical skill I emphasise for my older adults and triathlon clients alike.
- It’s about injury prevention. Dynamic routines increase muscle temperature and oxygen saturation, reducing the risk of strains compared to going in cold or over-stretched.
- Save the static holds for the cool-down. Static stretching still has a place in our training, but it belongs after the work is done to aid in recovery and relaxation.
From the Desk to the Track
I came to competitive sport late. I didn’t grow up in the system, and I certainly didn’t spend my twenties on the track. I spent them in management consulting, sitting at desks, worrying about spreadsheets rather than split times. When I finally found my way back to athletics via rowing, cycling, running, and eventually the madness that is triathlon, I brought a lot of enthusiasm but also a bag full of outdated habits. One of the biggest ones? The way I warmed up. I used to do what everyone did in school. I’d sit on the floor, legs splayed, reaching for my toes. I’d hold it. Breathe. Hold it some more. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was lengthening the muscles, making them safer, getting ready to perform. It felt virtuous. It felt like "preparation." I was wrong. As I’ve moved through my sports education from my Cert III & IV to becoming an accredited rowing, running and indoor cycling coach, and as I’ve dug into the research for the Can Walk Can Run cancer programme, my perspective has shifted entirely. I’ve had to unlearn that static hold. The science is telling us something different now. It’s telling us that if we want to perform, if we want to be explosive, and crucially, if we want to stay balanced, we need to be moving.The "Sedation" Effect of Static Stretching
There is a specific feeling you get after a long, deep static stretch. Relaxation. It feels good. But ask yourself: is "relaxed" the state you want your glutes to be in three minutes before the gun goes off for a 5k? Probably not. I’ve been reading through a fascinating meta-analysis recently that looked at whether including static or dynamic stretching improves jump height and range of motion. The findings were stark, and they back up what I’ve started to feel intuitively in my own training. The data showed that static stretching (SS) actually led to a non-significant decrease in jump height. It wasn't a massive drop, about 1.6%, but in a sport like rowing where that initial drive off the catch is pure explosive power, or in a sprint finish, you don't want to be giving away any percentage of your power.The Rubber Band Analogy
Think of your muscle like a rubber band. If you want to shoot a rubber band across the room, you want it tight, snappy, and reactive. If you spend five minutes pulling that rubber band to its absolute limit and holding it there, what happens when you let go? It’s baggy. It’s loose. It’s lost its elastic potential. That is essentially what we are doing to our hamstrings when we sit in a static hold for 60 seconds right before a race. We are effectively sedating the neuromuscular connection, inhibiting the production of force in the contractile component of the muscle. Conversely, the same analysis showed that dynamic stretching (DS), movements where you are swinging the limb, using momentum and active muscular effort, led to an increase in jump height. It wakes the body up. It tells the nervous system: "We are about to do work. Get ready."The Balance Factor: Lessons from the Mat
As a Personal Trainer, I teach a lot of balance work. It is non-negotiable. Whether I am working with an older adult who needs to maintain independence and avoid falls, or a triathlete who needs to navigate a technical bike course in high winds, balance is the foundation of movement. If you can't stabilise, you can't produce power efficiently. I came across a study recently involving Turkish wrestlers that really hammered this home for me. Now, I know, I’m not a wrestler. I don’t grapple. But the physiological demands of wrestling, explosiveness, rapid changes of direction, and the absolute need to stay upright when someone is trying to throw you, have huge crossovers for the athletes I coach.Insights from the Wrestling Study
The researchers split the wrestlers into two groups: one did a static stretching routine, the other dynamic. They then tested their balance using a Togu Challenge Disc. The results were significant. The wrestlers who performed the dynamic stretching protocol showed much higher dynamic balance performance than those who just sat and stretched. Interestingly, the static stretching didn't necessarily make their balance worse compared to doing nothing, but it didn't help. Dynamic stretching did. Why? It comes down to the nervous system. Dynamic stretching activates muscle spindles and proprioceptive receptors, the little sensors in our body that tell us where we are in space.Activating the Nervous System
It accelerates reaction time. When I’m coaching a trail runner, I need them to be able to react to the terrain instantly. If they step awkwardly on a rock or misjudge a steep descent, their body needs to micro-adjust immediately. If their nervous system is half-asleep because they’ve been doing long static holds, that reaction is slower. In the wrestlers' study, the freestyle wrestlers, who move more and have lower, more active postures, had better dynamic balance scores than the Greco-Roman wrestlers who are more static. It proves that movement preps movement.What Does a Dynamic Warm-Up Actually Look Like?
So, what do I do now? And what do I programme for my clients? We don't sit down. That's the rule. If we are warming up, we are moving. We look at protocols like the FIFA 11+, which has a mountain of evidence behind it for reducing injury rates. It’s not just about getting warm; it’s about rehearsal. For my runners, we focus on leg swings (front to back and side to side) to open up the hips without forcing them. We do walking lunges with rotation to get the thoracic spine moving, vital for runners who get stiff in the upper body.Duration and Specificity
We do high knees and butt kicks to fire up the hamstrings and hip flexors in a rhythmic, coordinated way. It takes about 7 to 10 minutes. The research suggests this duration is the sweet spot to increase body temperature and muscle oxygen saturation without causing fatigue. For rowing, it’s similar but with more focus on the posterior chain and shoulders. Arm circles, torso twists, and squat jumps to prime the legs for the drive. I used to include some static stretching before getting in the boat, thinking I needed the flexibility to reach the catch. But I’ve realised that if I do dynamic movements that mimic the rowing stroke, I get the range of motion plus the power.The Science of Speed
The science supports this too. Dynamic warm-ups have been shown to improve nerve conduction velocity. Basically, the signal from your brain to your muscle travels faster. When you are fatigued at the end of a triathlon, that speed of signal, that efficiency, is what keeps your form together when you want to fall apart.Is Static Stretching Dead?
I want to be clear here because it’s easy to swing too far the other way. I am not saying static stretching is useless. It absolutely has a place. I just don't think that place is at the start line. I still use static stretching, but I use it afterwards. It’s for the cool-down. It’s for post-race self-care. After a long cycle or a heavy metabolic conditioning session, that is when I want to induce that "sedation" effect. I want to tell my nervous system to calm down. I want to lengthen the tissues that have been contracting repeatedly for an hour. There is also the mental aspect of it; taking ten minutes to breathe and stretch is a vital part of mental recovery.Rethinking Safety and Mobility
However, we have to be careful. There is evidence that intense static stretching right before an event might come with injury risks. It changes the viscoelastic properties of the tendon, making it too compliant when it needs to be stiff enough to store energy. It’s a bit of a paradigm shift. We used to think flexible meant safe. Now we know that mobile and active means safe.My Personal Perspective
Transitioning from the corporate world to the fitness industry, I’m enjoying sharing what I know and what I learn. The beauty of this field is that the science is always evolving. I’m curious. I want to know why we do things. When I look at the clients I train, the goal is always the same: longevity and performance. Whether I am working with older adults getting back into fitness or athletes training for a marathon, I want them to have every advantage.Embracing the Chaos
If changing a ten-minute routine at the start of the session can improve their balance and reduce their risk of injury, why wouldn't we do it? It feels different. It feels a bit chaotic at first, flailing your legs around and jumping up and down rather than sitting quietly and reaching for your toes. It increases the intensity of the session right from the get-go. But that chaos is where the sport happens. Whether you are on the water, on the road, or on the mat, sport is dynamic. Your warm-up should be too.
Catherine Ashley