Dynamic stretching can prepare your muscles for a workout
Highlights
- These dynamic stretches can be done as part of your warm up
- They can prepare the right muscles for a legs workout
- These dynamic stretches were shared by fitness trainer Kelsey Wells
It is indeed very difficult to be prepared for a leg day, no matter how much you work towards it. Leg day at the gym or at home is undoubtedly one of the most strenuous days, workout wise. It requires a great deal of strength and effort from your lower body. People who have a heavier lower body struggle even more to complete a leg workouts. Dynamic stretching, however, can help you do a leg workout more efficiently. Dynamic stretching is a process which involves moving your joints and muscles actively, through their full range of motion.
What is dynamic stretching?
Dynamic stretching aims at improving your reach and optimising your active range of motion, preparing your muscles and tendons to work properly. Thus, dynamic stretching is best done before your workout.
Typically, dynamic stretching involves controlled stretching movements, but not the stretches which you need to hold.
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Dynamic stretching for legs workout
Coming back to legs workout, Sweat trainer Kelsey Wells recently shared a few dynamic stretches that you can do before a legs workout. These stretches can be done as part of the warm up before your workouts. Note that warming up and cooling down is important for your muscles to perform at their best during workout, and helping in quicker recovery after workout.
"These are some of the dynamic stretches I use in my PWR Programs for my guided leg day warm ups! These are gold. I would recommend preceding your dynamic stretching with 3-5 minutes of cardio and you'll be ready to slay leg day," says Wells.
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Here are the dynamic stretches that she recommends:
- Kung-Fu Kick - 40s (20 per side)
- Alternating Leg Swing - 30 seconds
- Squat & Extend - 30 seconds
- Calf Pump - 30 seconds
These dynamic stretches facilitate actively stretch muscles to their end range, preparing them for the workout. They result in an increase in blood flow to the area, while activating neuromuscular connections in the working muscles, according to Sweat.
These dynamic stretches can be done by anyone, irrespective of your fitness level. So if you are planning to do a legs workout today, then these dynamic stretches can get you covered.
Here's a legs workout that you can do at home
Also read: Are Home Workouts Here To Stay? Here's What Our Expert Fitness Trainer Has To Say
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