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How Should You be Stretching Before and After Exercise?

Are you stretching enough? The truth is that what makes sense for one person may not make sense for another. The same is true with stretching.

Whether you should stretch before or after exercise and how is only complicated by the fact that there are 4 different types of stretching:

  1. Static passive. This is the most common form of stretching. Think about putting your leg out and reaching forward. It’s static (meaning that you’re not moving), and it’s passive (meaning that you let an external force, like gravity pull you into position).
  2. Static active. Think about how figure skaters skate with one leg up in the air (doing a standing split). This is static (means they’re not moving), but active (because they’re using their own muscle force to get into position).
  3. Dynamic passive. Think about swinging your leg forward and back. It’s dynamic (meaning the limb is moving), but it’s passive, because you’re letting an external force (in this case, momentum) take you through the range of motion.
  4. Dynamic active. It looks similar to dynamic passive, but it’s done under much more control, in which case you’d be using your own muscle force to move the limb.

We hesitate to make generalizations, since one-size-fits-all isn’t optimal (or can actually injure you), but before exercise, you should do dynamic stretches, and after exercise, static stretches.

There are exceptions to this rule, however. What if you have certain muscles that are tight to begin with? In that case, it makes sense to do static stretching on those muscle both before and after.

Oh, and here’s a side note: just because a muscle feels tight doesn’t mean it is tight, and stretching that muscle will do more damage than good. We look at your range of motion to truly identify if a muscle is tight or not. Often muscles can feel tight because neighboring muscles in the body are weak, so they’re taking the load of the weak muscles.

When determining whether you should stretch  you should think about, what type of stretching, and how much, here are all the factors that go into our consideration:

  1. Present range of motion of different joints (tighter people will need more stretching. For people who have lax joints, stretching will actually increase their risk of injury).
  2. Demands of daily life. Are we working with a desk-bound employee or a gymnast? The desk-bound employee will require less range of motion than the gymnast.
  3. Previous and current injuries.
  4. Goals. If your goals include improved flexibility, we’ll be stretching you more than if your goals include weight loss.

As you can see, it’s not quite as simple as saying “do these stretches”, and you’ll be healthier for it. Not the case. For some people stretching may create more laxity in already lax joints, and increase risk of injury.

Keep Your Mind Healthy by Keeping Your Heart Healthy

Our dietary and workout routines can affect each and every part of our body. As we age this becomes more and more important as we focus on ways to keep our body in good shape as well as our cognitive abilities.

A recent study was published in a journal by the American College of Cardiology, that looked at the relationship between Cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive ability as we age. Risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity showed more of a cognitive decline compared with people who had healthier hearts.

Although these risk factors pose a threat, they’re manageable and there are ways that you can improve your health.

Exercise

Regular exercise has numerous benefits for not only your heart health, but your overall health. Even doing something as simple as going for a vigorous walk for 30 minutes a day can offer great results.

Avoid transfats and other unhealthy fats

Many of the heart healthy diets that doctors or health practioners recommend, focus on have lots of fruits, vegetables and lean or legume proteins. Generally, this means that you should try to reduce the amount of meals that are fried or have loads of unhealthy fats that you would see at fast-food joints or at restaurants.

Take care of your teeth

People with gum disease often have the same risk factors for heart disease, so be sure to brush and floss your teeth twice daily.

Improve your sleep

Poor sleep has been linked to cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes. It can also increase plaques that cause artery blockage

Tips on Exercising During COVID-19

With the limitations that the COVID-19 Pandemic has put on many of our day to day lives, it can be hard to remain active. How do you workout during a time when there are so many restrictions on gyms or fitness activities? Below are some of our tips that you can use for exercising outdoors as well as at home.

exercising outdoors

Exercising with a friend, or in small groups

If you’re heading outside, consider bringing your family or a friend to keep you company, but keep the Government of Canada guidelines in mind. Choose activities that allow you to maintain an appropriate distance between each other, such as hiking or biking. Do your best to minimize direct contact and save your high-fives and fist bumps for another day.

If you are going to exercise with a small group of friends, plan to meet up at the destination to avoid close quarters like carpools. Keep at least two arm lengths away from one another during your time together.

Work on Improving Your Fitness at Home

Having a strong core and aerobic fitness level is necessary for good fitness. You can work on strengthening your core and cardiovascular condition without compromising the safety of those around you by using:

  • Home gyms
  • Home-based video workouts
  • Web-based exercise programs

In fact, many fitness related instructors and organizations are currently offering free online workout classes and routines for new users as a way to encourage activity and improve morale throughout the country. Here is a list of free workouts that you can use at home.

Running – Give Others Space

As Canadians practise social distancing, many are wondering what activity, if any, is safe to be doing during this time? Experts are saying that running, walking and hiking are all considered socially responsible exercise outlets, and are in fact encouraging getting outside for the mental, as well as physical health benefits.

There are more runners on the trails than usual, as it’s one of the few viable forms of exercise right now. With that in mind, try to run on quiet trails, and when you see runners, give them their space (at least six feet, or two metres).

Healthy Eating on a Budget

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It’s easy to become overwhelmed by healthy eating, but your overall health will benefit if you can stick with healthy basics during this trying time. That means filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with protein-rich foods, and a quarter with whole grains, as described by Canada’s Food Guide.

Preparing meals can seem complicated though with hard to get ‘superfoods‘ seeming like the only way to cook nutritiously. But this is simply not the case — heart healthy foods are hiding in plain sight at every grocery store across the country. Fresh, frozen, shelf-stable and more, these delicious whole foods benefit your total body health. Below are some of our tips that you can use, without breaking the bank.

Choose Wisely

Plan your meals ahead of time, so you can shop once and get groceries for the next week or two. When you plan your meals, make sure to use your perishable vegetables, fruit and protein options first, and save the canned, frozen and shelf-stable food for later.

Peel it Yourself

Buying foods in their close-to-natural state will always save you money. A one kilogram bag of whole unpeeled carrots costs about one-third the price of the same size bag of pre-cut baby carrots. Convenience comes with a higher price tag.

Go Meatless on Monday

Pick one or more days per week to go fully meatless, focusing on the highly affordable protein found in beans, legumes, eggs and tofu. Transform humble edamame beans into an edible masterpiece with this Carrot, Parsnip and Edamame Salad, ideal for lunch or dinner on the days you go meatless, or any day.

Choose In-Season Foods

Shopping in season is a simple way to enjoy a healthy diet on a budget, without even thinking twice. Head to your local farmers’ market or grocery store each week with growing seasons in mind. For instance, buy asparagus in April or May (not December!) and strawberries in June. In the summertime, you’re spoiled for choice, though this way of cooking and eating works year-round.

Use Frozen Vegetables

Picked at the peak of freshness and flash frozen, these ice-cold health foods are often just as nutritious as they are fresh. Choose frozen produce free of sauces, salt and sugar, and keep your eye out for sales during the week. They’ll keep for months, allowing you to buy in bulk and add to stews, stir-fries, salads, sides and soups.

Mikey Network Ambassadors Donate Non-Surgical Masks to the Sick Kids Foundation

Looking to make an impact on the fight against COVID-19, Meagan & Amanda Damota, current medical students and ambassadors for The Mikey Network, will be producing and donating over 100 non-surgical masks to the SickKids Foundation.

With over 100 masks set to be delivered this Tuesday and with more in production, the students were inspired by Canadian chief medical officer Dr. Theresa Tam who suggested that wearing a non-medical facial mask could slow the spread of COVID-19, along with the previously prescribed measures of vigilant hand-washing, social distancing and self-isolation.

“By producing and donating these non-surgical masks we hope to help the incredible staff and families stay protected against COVID-19,” says Meagan Damota. “As a country and as a community we are all in this together, and we hope our protective gear can ease some of the stress families and staff are enduring during this difficult time all while aiding the hospital in their fight against COVID-19,” adds Amanda Damonta.

“Meagan and Amanda have played an integral part of The Mikey Network and we are excited to be part of this amazing endeavour,” says Eva Naumovski, President of The Mikey Network. “The Mikey Network is a proud supporter of SickKids through The Mikey Kids program and we
are honoured to be able to provide a helping hand.”

“As a country and as a community we are all in this together, and we hope our protective gear can ease some of the stress families and staff are enduring during this difficult time all while aiding the hospital in their fight against COVID-19,” adds Amanda Damonta.

We are so proud to have Meagan & Amanda on Team Mikey!