Ballistic stretching? Stretching balistically? It’s not a new trend, but a new twist on the old stretching routine, and when it comes to your flexibility, balance, agility and injury prevention, you’ve got to get on board. After all, your overall health could depend on the way you stretch – and if you’re not stretching right, you’re stretching unproductively and with a high risk of injury, to boot.
Why not mix up your usual workout routine with something new, exciting and that generates results? Ballistic stretching is a unique type of stretching that works each and every major muscle group so that you can maximize your flexibility, while maximizing your workout results as well.
Ballistic stretching, otherwise known as fast stretching, is a way to stretch your muscles past their comfort zone. Unlike static stretching, which is the typical stretch that goes from one movement to the next in a slow and stand-still pace, ballistic stretching is all about exercising your muscles to reach past their usual ‘breaking point’, and by stretching in a bouncing motion.
Before You Start, Read This!
Thinking about starting a new ballistic stretching routine as part of your pre-workout exercise plan? Consider talking with a trainer or doctor first. Ballistic stretching is a great activity to loosen up your muscles, and take the ease off of painful joints, but many physicians frown against it, due to the jerking motion (the bouncing motion) that it entails.
Do you have a bad back, or painful ligaments alongside your knee caps? Be careful as you try out ballistic stretching, and in particular, if you’ve never done it before. You’ll be moving at a quicker pace than you’re used to, and while you’ll gain more flexibility, it can be a different kind of stretch that your body isn’t used to.
Your New Pre-Game Routine
Do you want to expand on your range of motion? If so, great! Ballistic stretching is a perfect choice for you. Think about plyometric stretching, which is a type of ballistic stretching. When you use plyometrics, you stretch and then contract quickly. This type of stretching can not only make you feel flexible, but powerful as well. Feeling sporty these days? Do you want to do as the athletes do in order to improve your game? Believe it or not, ballistic stretching is a great way to set yourself up for the pre-game, and after stretching in this way, you can prevent injury while on the field or tennis court.
Have you ever witnessed an athlete warming up before a game? Chances are, what you’ve observed are not athletes doing toe touches in a stand-still motion, but instead, lateral lunges, and knee hugs while in a walking motion. This is because athletes may know something you don’t! They know that in order to prevent injury at the game, they need to work out their core, while challenging their flexibility and stability. Then, when game time comes (or just the basic, hard core workout) they’ve done their protection work to assure themselves and their body they can take it to the highest level – with the lowest amount of risk.
