Warming Up and Stretching at the Right Time
Many people stretch while their muscles are still cold and then skip the cool-down. Reversing that order makes a session feel much better.
But · 4 min read · Sep 5, 2026
Warming up is not a formality. Its purpose is to warm the muscles, increase blood flow to them, lubricate the joints and give your heart and circulation time to move from rest into working order.
Stretching serves a different purpose: maintaining the range of movement in your joints and helping the body let go. The two do not replace each other, and the right moment for each is different.
Before you train: warm up by moving
The warm-up should be made up of gentle, continuous movements that build in intensity over about 5–10 minutes.
- Walk slowly and then faster, or cycle gently
- Circle your wrists, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles
- Swing your arms, lift your knees, take long rhythmic strides
- If you are about to train hard, do a few light sets of the very exercise you are about to do
You know the warm-up has been enough when you feel warm, your breathing is a little quicker and your joints feel less stiff.
After you train: cool down and stretch
When you finish, do not stop abruptly. Walk slowly for a few minutes so that your heart rate and breathing come back close to resting level.
Only then comes the holding of stretches: bring the muscle into a position of gentle tension, hold still for about 20–30 seconds, breathe evenly, and do not bounce. Give priority to the muscle groups that have just worked hardest — the fronts and backs of the thighs, the calves, the hips, the chest and the shoulders.
A few common misunderstandings
Stretching is not a way to prevent every injury, and it does not remove the aching that shows up a day or two after a hard session. That feeling is a normal response to a workload the muscle is not yet used to, and it will ease as you build up the intensity gradually.
Older adults and people who are not very active should warm up for a little longer, because joints need more time to be ready.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you feel a sudden sharp pain while training, if you hear a crack followed by rapid swelling, or if a joint will not move as it normally does; if pain lasts more than a few days or keeps increasing; or if you have numbness, weakness in a limb, or swelling, heat and redness in one leg.
People with joint disease or osteoporosis, and those who have had a joint replacement or recent surgery, should ask their doctor which movements to avoid.
This information is for general reference only and does not replace advice from your doctor.
