Dynamic Stretching for Performance and Flexibility

Dynamic stretching can be a useful part of a warm-up because it moves you through the positions you are about to use. It is not a proven injury shield. The evidence on dynamic stretching and injury incidence is thin, while a systematic review found small performance improvements when it was done close to activity. Use it to get ready to move, then build your training so you can hold up.

Start with the full framework: MMA Strength and Conditioning: The Complete Guide.

Dynamic Stretching Is A Warm-Up Tool

Dynamic stretching means moving through a controlled range instead of parking yourself in one long hold. Leg swings, arm circles, squat-to-stands, lunges with a reach, skips, and light shadowboxing all fit the idea when they are done with control.

For a fighter, the value is simple. You are not trying to put on a show before training. You are taking the body from sitting in a car, standing at work, or rolling out of bed into positions you will actually use. Hips, ankles, trunk, shoulders, and the feet all get a few clean reps before the hard work begins.

That does not make dynamic stretching magic. It is a way to prepare for movement. The work still has to build you.

What The Evidence Actually Says

A systematic review found that dynamic stretching produced small-to-moderate performance improvements when done within minutes of activity. In the same review, static stretching and PNF stretching showed an immediate performance drop on average, while dynamic stretching showed a small improvement. Longer static holds carried a bigger immediate cost than shorter holds. The review also found no clear effect of static or PNF stretching on injury incidence (systematic review).

That is a useful, practical message. If you are about to sprint, lift, wrestle, or hit pads, get moving. Do not take one narrow finding and turn it into a rule that static stretching is bad forever. If longer holds help you work on a position away from training, do them when they make sense. Just do not mistake that separate work for your whole warm-up.

Do Not Sell It As Injury Prevention

The claim that dynamic stretching prevents injury is not established. A later review describes the evidence on dynamic stretching and injury incidence as thin. It notes one study with no significant difference in injury incidence between dynamic-only and dynamic-plus-static work, plus a finding on ankle stability in injured dancers (narrative review).

So do not let anyone sell you a five-minute sequence as a shield against injury. A warm-up can help you arrive ready to move. It does not erase bad technique, bad loading decisions, poor sleep, a reckless sparring day, or months of work you skipped.

Build A Warm-Up Around The Session

The best warm-up is not a random list from the internet. It points toward the session you are about to do. Keep it short enough that you will actually do it, and specific enough that it gets you ready.

• Start easy. Walk, skip rope, pedal, or move lightly until you are no longer cold and stiff.
• Open the positions you need. Use controlled hips, ankles, upper back, and shoulder movements that match the training ahead.
• Rehearse the pattern. Squat before squatting. Hinge before hinging. Shadowbox before pads. Shoot clean reps before live wrestling.
• Build toward speed. Add a few sharper reps only after the basic positions feel good.

That is enough for most people. You do not need a long routine that turns the warm-up into its own workout. You need a bridge from the day you had into the session you are going to run.

Examples For Fighters

Before a striking day, you might start with light footwork, easy skips, hip and ankle movement, controlled shoulder circles, and several rounds of relaxed shadowboxing. Before a lower-body lift, use an easy general warm-up, a few deep supported squat positions, controlled hinges, then lighter sets of the lifts you plan to do.

Before wrestling or grappling, add the positions that show up when someone is pulling on you: a little hip movement, neck and shoulder control, level changes, penetration steps, sprawls, and a few technical reps. The goal is not to get tired. The goal is to make the first hard rep less of a surprise.

Static Work Still Has A Place

Static stretching is not banned. It is a tool for a different job. If you have a range of motion you are working to improve, longer quiet holds may belong after training or in a separate short session. Put them where they do not get in the way of the work that needs speed or force right now.

The review also found no clear immediate performance penalty when dynamic activity followed stretching (systematic review). That is another reason not to make this more dramatic than it needs to be. Move after you stretch. Rehearse what you are about to do.

The Bottom Line

Dynamic stretching is worth using before training because it is a sensible way to move into the session. The research supports a modest performance benefit when it is done close to activity. It does not support a promise that dynamic stretching prevents injury. Be honest about that, train with intent, and let the warm-up do its job.

What movement helps you feel ready to train? Share it in the comments below.

References

• Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26642915/
• Potential Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Injury Incidence of Athletes: A Narrative Review of Risk Factors. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37162736/