Looking for some activated power in your muscles and joints before the workout? Then you should definitely perform dynamic stretches to get that little flexibility before you start burning your calories for the day. Trust me when you start stretching regularly prior to your workout, you will see how convenient and easy it becomes for you to perform every movement and increase your performance while you workout. 

So what exactly are dynamic stretches?

Dynamic stretching involves making active movements to activate the muscles and joints before the workout. The end goal of the dynamic stretching before workout  is to make the body ready for an intense workout. It involves motion and some kind of movement instead of holding a position which is done while you perform static stretching (post your workout). The beauty of dynamic workout is that it will help you to improve the flexibility and reduce the toughness of your muscles for increased performance and preventing injuries. 

Alright, so when do you perform dynamic stretches?

Dynamic stretching can be done before the workout as warm up exercises to warm up the body and prepare it for a range of activities by activating the muscles and joints through a series of motions and movements. The pace of the dynamic stretches should be slow in comparison to your other workouts as you are just preparing your body for an intense calorie burst.

The following are the list of dynamic stretching exercises that can be done before the workout:

Cobra Pose

How it works: Begin this stretch with lying down on your belly on the mat. Place your hands next to your chest so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Start breathing in and as you breathe out put some pressure on your palms and rise. Rise your chest off the floor keeping your neck neutral. It is possible to experience some pain in the start but you can get better at this eventually with practice.

Cat Cow Stretch

How it works: Get down on your knees and place your hands in line and under the shoulder. First, breathe in, arch your back and take your head down to get into the cat position. Then, slowly breathe out as you move into the cow position by lowering your belly and taking your head high. Hold both of them for 5 seconds and keep on changing between cat and cow stretches.

Child pose

How it works: Get down on your knees with your toes pointing outward. Then, try to sit back with your heels, pushing your butt back and lowering the chest while taking your arms forward. Hold for 5 seconds and then rest. 

High Knees

How it works: Stand straight with your hips and feet wide apart. As you move, lift your right knee to your chest. Then, switch your movement to take your left knee to your chest. 

Squats

How it works: Stand with your feet and shoulders wide apart. As you squat, put your arms forward, push your hips back, keep your core tight and push your knees forward. Make sure you have your back straight at all times. Press through heels to push back to the start position.

Inchworm

How it works: Stand straight with your shoulder and feet wide apart. Place your palms on the mat as you bend down keeping your back straight. Once done, start walking your hands away from your feet till you enter a plank like position. Once you reach there, start moving back to your starting position taking your arms closer to your feet. You can perform this as per your workout level and convenience.

Butt Kicks

How it works: You can begin this exercise with a hip distance between your feet and placing your palms locked in front of your chest. Slowly, bring your right heel to your right buttock and then bring it down taking your left heel to your left buttock. Keep performing this and increase your speed till you feel like you are jogging at one place. 

Jumping Jacks

How it works: Stand straight with your feet together and with your arms by the side. As you jump, spread your legs and shoulder wide apart and take your arms over and above the head and shoulder. Jump back and come to the starting position.

Arm circles

How it works: Stand straight with your shoulder and feet wide apart. Hold your arms in line with your shoulders. Start moving your arms in small circles and then gradually increase the pace. You can first do it clockwise and then repeat the same anticlockwise.

Note: You can perform all these exercises for 30 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Don’t forget to include arm rotations, knee rotations, ankle rotations and neck rotations in your pre-workout exercises. You should make sure that you are maintaining proper form while performing these exercises and should stop if it causes any kind of pain or discomfort.

If you perform the dynamic exercises correctly and in the right form, they can help you to improve your movements, motion, speed, flexibility and agility. Now that you are well aware about the benefits of dynamic exercises, perform them before your workout and see how easy it gets for you to push yourself and get that transformation that you ever wanted. 

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