Static vs Dynamic Stretching: What Science Says About Warming Up

For decades, static stretching (holding a stretch for 20-30+ seconds) was the default warm-up before any workout. Research over the past 15 years has meaningfully changed that advice: static stretching right before strength-based exercise can temporarily reduce force output, especially with long holds (although a large 2024 analysis found no such harm to jumping or sprinting), while dynamic stretching (moving through a range of motion) better prepares the body for that same activity.

What the Research Actually Shows

• Static stretching before strength work can reduce maximal force. A 2024 multilevel meta-analysis of 83 controlled studies found that static stretching immediately beforehand causes a small, temporary loss of maximal strength in isolated-muscle tests such as leg extensions, an effect sometimes called stretch-induced strength loss, with a much larger loss when each stretch is held 60 seconds or more. It found no harm to athletic performance such as jumping or sprinting, and even a small benefit for jumping in adults.
• Dynamic stretching raises muscle temperature and primes movement patterns relevant to what you’re about to do, without the same temporary strength deficit.
• Static stretching still has real value — just at a different time. Research supports static stretching for improving long-term flexibility and range of motion when done separately from training, such as after a workout or on its own.
• The performance-reduction effect from static stretching appears temporary and dose-dependent. Shorter holds (under 30 seconds) show smaller effects than longer ones, and the deficit typically resolves within an hour.

How to Actually Structure a Warm-Up

1. Start with light cardio (a few minutes of easy walking, cycling, or jogging) to raise core and muscle temperature.
2. Move into dynamic stretches that mimic the movement patterns you’re about to train — leg swings and walking lunges before a lower-body session, arm circles and band pull-aparts before upper-body work.
3. Save static stretching for after training, or as its own separate flexibility session, when you’re not immediately about to perform strength or power work.
4. An exception: if a specific joint feels notably stiff or tight and isn’t itself part of a max-effort lift that day, a brief, moderate static stretch beforehand is unlikely to meaningfully hurt performance.

This pairs well with the isometric approach in our isometric and calisthenics for longevity guide, and the recovery side of training in our best foam rollers guide.

Stretching before bed also comes up as a remedy for night cramps. Our breakdown of leg cramp remedies, from magnesium to calf stretches compares the evidence for each.

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