Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, I'm Dr. Erik Brand, and I'm a sports medicine doctor at our newest campuses in Bellevue
and Issaquah. Today, it's my pleasure to welcome you to Swedish News You Can Use. As a sports
medicine doctor, I'm often asked, what are the best ways to improve athletic performance?
So today we're going to discuss three ways to improve athletic performance through proper
stretching. First, I recommend that everybody warm-up before you start to stretch. A good
warm-up routine will consist of five to ten minutes of light aerobic activity, ideally
in a sports specific manner, mimicking some of the motions you'll do during your sporting
activity. A good general rule of thumb is to break a sweat before you start to stretch.
Second, after your warm-up, but before the main piece of exercise, I recommend dynamic
stretching. This basically means stretching while moving. Some common examples include
running high knees, karaoke, and low lunges. It's best if these dynamic stretches mimic
movements that you're going to be doing during your sport. Two things to remember: Stretch
to a point of muscle discomfort but not pain, and avoid bouncing. Third, after your main
piece of exercise, static stretching has been also demonstrated to improve your performance.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that we hold each stretch of all major muscle
groups ten to thirty seconds for two to four sets on most, if not all days of the week.
My name is Dr. Brand, and this has been Swedish News You Can Use.