Active Stretching Is the Static Stretching You Haven’t Tried Yet

To improve flexibility and mobility, athletes and active individuals often rely on several forms of stretchinThese involve lengthening or flexing a muscle or tendon to promote enhanced elasticityOne method is active stretching, in which your own muscles are used to provide resistant pull, and this creates the stretcThis article will detail active stretching, how it differs from other forms of stretching, and how to perform itMarco Govel/Stocksy UWhat is active stretchiActive stretching is a method of improving flexibility. It involves active contracting of one muscle (the agonist) as a way to stretch an opposing muscle (the antagonist), with no external force.

Active stretching is also often referred to as static active stretching — which means nonmoving — because the end position of the stretch is held for aamount of timBut instead of holding your stretch using a prop, such as a strap or band, you’re simply holding the stretch with other muscles. This is why it’s called static active stretchinThese stretches are commonly held for 10–15 seconds. Any longer tends to be quite difficuOne example of active stretching is lying

on your back on the floor and lifting a straight leg to the ceiling until you feel your haHolding that position without a strap requires active work from your hip flexors and core to keep your leg in the air, while your hamstrings — the muscles on the opposite side of the hip joint — are statically stretchingThis method of stretching is often performed after exercise, as some studies suggest a potential decrease in muscle strength and power when performing static stretching before a workout (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

If you practice yoga, you’re familiar with active stretching. Holding yoga poses requires strength in certain muscles while other, opposing muscles are being stretched.UMMAActive stretching is a method of improving flexibility, where strategically contracting your own muscles provides the pull needed to stretch opposing muscle groups.How does active stretching differ from other types of stretchinWhen it comes to stretching, numerous methods generally serve a similar function, though they differ slightly in execution.

So, it helps to distinguish which type of stretching is best for your goals. Here’s an overview of a few different typesPassive stretchiWhile active stretching focuses on using one muscle group to stretch another, passive stretching uses an external force to provide the pull for the streThe resistance pull can either be provided by another part of your body, by a partner, or by an object.