How To Stretch Before And After Workout

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Many experts and athletes alike agree that stretching is an essential part of any exercise to loosen up before you exercise and help to recover after exercise. Typically I warm up and cool down the parts of the body being used during the workout.

So how do you stretch pre and post-workout?

Before you exercise, spend 5-10 minutes (10 reps on each side for each stretch) warming up with dynamic stretches to increase: 1) blood flow to your muscles and 2) mobility in joints.
After you exercise, spend 5-10 minutes (30 seconds on each side for each stretch) cooling down with static stretches to regulate blood flow for a gradual recovery.

Keep reading for some of my favorite stretches categorized by body part.

Table of Contents

Pre-Workout Warm-Up (Dynamic Stretches)

Warm-Up Stretches For Legs

Side Lunges: Develop strength and mobility in your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and inner thigh muscles.
- Stand with feet wide apart with chest and shoulders open, back neutral, lats engaged, and core tight.
- Find stability in your right foot as you bend your right knee and drop your hips down into the side lunge.
- Push back up into the initial position and lunge onto the other side.
Air Squats: Warm up your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep chest and shoulders open, back neutral, lats engaged, and core tight as you descend until thighs are parallel to the floor. Ascend by driving your hips up and forward.
Glute Bridge: Warm up your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles.
- Lay down on your back. Bend your knees and place your hands close to the heels on the side of your body.
- Squeeze the glutes and tighten the core throughout the movement.
- Push through the heels and lift the hips until the knees, hips, and shoulders are aligned.
- Then lower the hips with control back to the starting position.

Warm-Up Stretches For Hips

Trunk Rotations: Create flexibility and range of motion between the hips and upper torso.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart with arms raised laterally at shoulder level, keeping your shoulders retracted and engaged.
- Twist through the hips and obliques to rotate the torso at 90 degrees to the right, then the left.
Hip Rotations: Ease tension in the lower back and hips.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart.
- Keep the palms on the kidney area while relaxing your shoulders.
- Begin a horizontal circle with the hips.
- Spend the same amount of time in the opposite direction.
Hip Circles: Warm up and open up your hips.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart.
- Raise your right knee at 90 degrees in front of you.
- Make a big, clockwise circle with your knee to open your hip as far as it can.
- Complete the reps and repeat on the other side.
Spiderman Stretch: Relieve tight hips.
- Start in the high plank position on your two hands and two toes.
- Bring your right foot towards the outside of your right hand for some hip flexion to relieve tight hips.
- Hold for a few seconds before you return and repeat on the other side.

Warm-Up Stretches For Back

Cobra Push-Up: Warm up the lower back.
- Lay down with your belly on the floor and place your hands on the floor, right outside your shoulders.
- Try to stabilize your hips on the floor as you push your chest away until your arms are straight.
- Feel the stretch in your lower back as you hold this for 3 seconds, and then lower yourself back down and repeat.
Bird Dog: Activates core and stabilizing muscles in shoulders and glutes.
- Come to all fours, where the wrists stack under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Avoid belly dropping by bracing your core to position your spine in a neutral position.
- Simultaneously move one leg and the opposite sidearm. Slowly extend the left hip (without rotating) by straightening the left leg into a position parallel to the floor. At the same time, slowly flex your opposite arm by raising the arm with a straightened elbow parallel to the floor without tilting the shoulders.
- If you find the belly dropping at any point, adjust the limbs to only raise to heights that allow the neutral spine to be maintained.
- Gently lower yourself back into the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs.
Dead Bug: Activates core and stabilizing muscles in shoulders and glutes.
- Lie down faceup on the floor with arms and legs in the air, bent 90 degrees.
- Simultaneously move one leg and the opposite sidearm.
- Gently return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs.
Cat-Cow: Warms up and creates flexibility along the spine.
- Come to all fours, where the wrists stack under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Pull your navel towards the floor as you extend the crown of your head up.
- Then round your spine towards the sky as you let the crown of your head drop.

Warm-Up Stretches For Shoulders

Arm Circles: Warm up your shoulders.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms out parallel to the floor.
- Circle your arms forward in controlled motions
- Then circle your arms backward
Cross-Body Arm Swings: Warm up your upper body.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms out parallel to the floor.
- Swing both arms across your chest.
Band Pull-Apart: Warm up and stabilize your shoulders.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms in front of you while holding one end of the band in each hand.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades to pull the resistance band apart, stretching it across your chest.
- Return to the starting position with control.

Post-Workout Cool Down (Static Stretches)

Cool Down Stretches For Legs

Quad Stretch: Release tension in your quads.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart or get into a kneeling lunge.
- Bend the bottom of one foot towards your butt. Hold, and you should feel the quad stretch.
- Slowly release and switch to the other side.
Calf Stretch: Release tension in your quads.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart.
- Bend your back knee and keep your front knee straight as you hinge forward. Hold, and you should feel the calf stretch.
- Slowly release and switch to the other side.

Cool Down Stretches For Hips

Child’s Pose: Gentle stretch for the back, hips, thighs, and ankles.
- Kneel on the floor and spread your knees wide apart while your big toes touch and buttocks rest on your heels.
- Sit up straight and lengthen your spine.
- On an exhalation, bow your forehead to the floor and keep your arms long and extended.
Piriformis Stretch: Stretch your piriformis muscle.
- Lie down faceup on the floor with legs in the air, bent 90 degrees.
- You can pull your right knee to the left shoulder. Hold to stretch the piriformis muscle.
- OR you can place your right ankle on the left knee and pull the left thigh toward your chest. Hold to stretch the piriformis muscle.
- Repeat on the other side.

Cool Down Stretches For Back

Cobra: Stretch the lower back.
- Lay down with your belly on the floor and place your hands on the floor, right outside your shoulders.
- Try to stabilize your hips on the floor as you push your chest away until your arms are straight.
- Feel the stretch in your lower back as you hold
Downward Dog: Creates length throughout the body.
- Start in the high plank position on your two hands and two toes.
- Push back into Downward Dog by lifting your hips and buttocks high into the air and straightening your arms and legs.
Seated Spinal Twist: Lengthen the spine and stretch your core muscles.
- Sit down on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your right knee 90 degrees and place it over your straightened left leg.
- Place your left elbow on the outer part of your right leg and hold for the spinal twist.
- Release with control and repeat on the other side.
Spinal Twist: Lengthen the spine and stretch your core muscles.
- Lie down faceup on the floor with arms straight out perpendicular to your body.
- Bend your right knee 90 degrees and place it across your straightened left leg.
- Hold for the spinal twist.
- Release with control and repeat on the other side.
Cat-Cow Holds: Creates flexibility along the spine.
- Come to all fours, where the wrists stack under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Pull your navel towards the floor as you extend the crown of your head up. Hold to lengthen the spine.
- Then round your spine towards the sky as you let the crown of your head drop. Hold to lengthen the spine.

Cool Down Stretches For Shoulders

Arm Cross Over: Stretch your rotator cuff.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms out parallel to the floor.
- Cross one arm over your chest and secure the placement with the inside of your other arm. Hold to stretch your rotator cuff.
- Release with control and repeat on the other side.
Overhead Tricep Stretch: Improve your flexibility in the backs of your upper arms and range of motion in shoulders.
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart and extend your arms out parallel to the floor.
- Raise your right arm overhead and bend at the elbow. Bring your left hand overhead and on the right elbow. Push it back and hold to stretch the back of your arm.
Wall Chest Stretch: Stretch and lengthen your chest muscles.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart facing a wall.
- Extend your right arm out parallel to the floor and place your palm on the wall.
- Rotate your body left and hold to stretch your chest muscles.
- Release with control and repeat on the other side.