Please share how you stretch before walk/run/exercise?

I got mine out of a strength training book. For warm-ups, it's not really stretches. I use a Nerf soccer ball and a fitness band.

• Fifteen ball-body reaches. I start with the ball held at waist level and then reach up with it over my head to the left, return to start, reach up to the right and repeat 14 times. (I'm left-handed. Start with the right, if you prefer.)
• Fifteen ball-to-knee touches. Hold the ball over my head, then lower it to about waist-level while raising one knee to touch it. Return to start and raise the other. Repeat 14 times.
• Fifteen ball plies. Wide stance, ball held between my legs. Bend my knees sideways while raising the ball to waist level, arms out.
• 8 shoulder rotations with fitness band
• 8 lateral side bends on each side with band.
• 8 lateral half-circles on each side with band. (Basically, take a side-bend and keep going in front, coming up on the other side. Then repeat in the other direction.)

Cool-down is where the stretching comes in.

Cool topic! Before lifting I do 5 mins on some cardio device usually stairclimber or recumbant. Then I do 4 stretches that target my glute muscles, hamstrings, and hip region, for the sole purpose of getting my hips and legs ready for some deep squat action...trying to prepare for oly lifts. I don't stretch immediately after my workout I do hydromassage. Then later in the day at home while watching the game on tv I'll do light stretching, foam rolling massage exercises with foam roller and lacrosse ball, then finally some hanging exercises for spine health.

Never do static stretches before exercise, pointless at best, may even be counter productive.

My routine is warm up (sometimes) then exercise.
If my exercise is weights then then I'm doing warm up sets (light weight/high rep).

If I stretch then it's after exercise.

Not exactly stretching, more like a mini warmup. Before running I do ankle circles, then swing each leg back and front from the hip, then swing each leg side to side from the hip. After that I start with a 5 minute walk and pick up pace gradually to where I'm running by the 5-8 minute mark.

When I go on the treadmill I don't warm up I go straight in to my excise don't know if that's good or bad x

amusedmonkey wrote: »

Not exactly stretching, more like a mini warmup. Before running I do ankle circles, then swing each leg back and front from the hip, then swing each leg side to side from the hip. After that I start with a 5 minute walk and pick up pace gradually to where I'm running by the 5-8 minute mark.

Dynamic stretching. Back in the day they called that "limbering up". Lol.

Sometimes I do a yoga video first thing, before coffee and snack and heading out for a long run. I'll stretch calves, hamstrings, quads, do one-leg chair pose, and some lunges after. For a short run, not much of anything. I have usually worked out earlier in the day, or walked before a weight workout. I don't do much more warm-up than 5 squats and bench presses with the empty bar.

I don't stretch before working out. I warm up instead. I save the stretching for afterwards. Too I use yoga on my recovery days to help as well.

Here is what I do
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ARohP6TvKTY

context: i'm 52. i don't run. i bike commute and i lift 'heavy': usually squat, deadlift, overhead press and bench.

before lifting i always, always do: 3x15 broomstick 'dislocates' and chest-level band pulls. i almost-always do quadruped hip circles, quad stretching and the figure-four stretch for glutes.

for cycling i'm sloppy because it's 'just' commuting and not a 'workout'. but technically at least, i should do at least the hip circles and quad stretch, and i'm better off if i do. also benefit from shin-box stretches and 'switching' just to warm up my hip joints.

not everyone likes or needs to stretch but i have rheumatoid arthritis and i'm slightly over the kinds of creeping-inabilities that catch up with me if i don't practice this kind of thing. if nothing else the routines seem to tell me more or less what state my physical nation is in on that day.

I don't really stretch too much before exercising, I do warm up, walking for a couple mins before a run, or running down to the gym before lifting. I'll do a little bit of mobility as well before lifting, but no real stretching before. I then spend a couple of minutes after running to stretch out my legs, and maybe 5 mins after lifting to thoroughly stretch full body. I also occasionally have a ten min stretch session on an active rest day, if any muscles are feeling tight or twingy.

I'm not a stretcher shock horror! If walking or running I'll warm up at a slow walk/run for a few minutes, I do the same at cool down.
I now bike more and again I go at a slower pace for 4 or 5 mins and then get my speed up.