Ballistic stretching is also called active stretching. In this type of stretching, you don’t just extended the muscle outwards. Instead, you are doing a more complex and more extensive type of stretch. If you haven’t used any stretching methods before, you will want to work on learning a few methods of stretching that incorporate ballistic stretching methods. In fact, you’ll want to add this type of stretching to your workout. Ballistic stretching allows for the perfect warm up before you exercise. For that reason, anyone that will do any type of challenging or semi challenging exercise will need to work on incorporating ballistic stretching into their exercise regimen as their method for warming up.
What Happens?
During ballistic stretching, you will use motion as well as momentum to fully extend your muscles. During this type of stretching, your body will go through a series of motions meant to encourage muscles to be more flexible for your oncoming routine or exercise. You will use a specific type of rapid motions that will end in a stretch position.
The type of ballistic stretches should be carefully considered and should be somewhat specific to the type of exercise that you will be doing following the stretches. When you incorporate them into your workout, you will only use light ballistic stretches to warm up. Otherwise, you could risk injury.
For one light ballistic type of stretch, do the following. Stand with your arms at your side. Relax. Now, flex and then extended each of your joints. Then, rotate each of the joints carefully. You can do this with your ankles, knees, shoulders, wrist, elbows, fingers, hips, toes, feet, shoulder blades and your trunk. You can repeat them if you would like to.
By providing yourself with specific ballistic stretching exercises, you allow your body to become accustom to doing the activities that will be required of it in more force later. As a warm up, it can be quite a great way to get your body ready to go and do what you want it to do. Without providing this type of stretching, you risk injury to those joints. In addition to doing your regular workout, try to add some of these ballistic stretching exercises before you start. This will make the workout even more effective then it was before.