Dynamic stretching is stretching a muscle initially and completing the stretch with momentum. This momentum will often take the muscle outside a normal range of motion.
It is completely natural and safe as long as it is done properly:
1 Lightly swing the limb (e.g. leg) to be stretched and feel for a point of tension or resistance.
2 As the level of resistance reduces as you swing then increase the range of motion until you feel you have reached the maximum.
3 At the maximum, repeat only a couple of times.
4 Do not stretch if the muscle is getting tired because it begins to lose
its elasticity.
5 Do not try to get to the maximum range too quickly.
Advantages of dynamic stretching:
Creates elasticity in the muscles and if it is used consistently, will reduce warm up time. Static stretches that are held for 30 seconds actually reduce muscle power straight after the stretch.
Multi directional warm up
Coaches are much wiser these days. They say things like always warm up with the ball, because that’s more like the real game. But consider this: some players rarely see the ball, but what they do a lot of is move around in different directions. And this is what a wise coach should be saying about the warm up.
Running up and down passing is not multi-directional; players should be zigzagging, running sideways, skipping backwards, jumping up, falling onto and getting off the floor, turning 90 or 180 degrees, and so on.
Of course the ball plays a part in all this, but from the kick off, the defending side could easily be doing all those previous exercises in the first 30 seconds and 90% of them won’t have touched the ball.
Some dynamic stretching for rugby:
All the boffins say that dynamic stretching should resemble the sports
activity that you are playing. This could start with stretching for running in the context of rugby:
• Low kicks to high kicks.
• Low knees to high knees.
• Narrow steps with a small sit down to wide steps with a very low sit down.
• On one leg, swing the other to the side at increasing angles.
• Press ups and sit ups can be used, with small movements leading to full movement.
• Think multi-directional, with arms and legs moving in side ways as well as forward directions.
