Good Stretching for Combat Sports

You’ll always get a better workout when you warm up, and stretching is an effective way to get the muscles ready for combat sports. Proper stretches increase flexibility and range of motion, reduce the chance of injury and inspire mental readiness, which are pretty important benefits when you’re sparring, grappling or just practicing high kicks and hard strikes. Some combat sports focus on certain body areas, but most incorporate the full body to some degree, so stretching all the parts you’ll be using is most effective. Stretching also helps you cool down without tightening up afterward.

  1. Types of Stretching

    • Many people do static stretching, in which a specific pose is held for 15 to 60 seconds. But for combat sports, static stretching doesn’t warm up the body and can even reduce strength, power and speed if done before a workout, according to the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." While static stretching can be beneficial after training or in its own session, as a warm-up, dynamic stretching is preferred as it mimics and replicates the moves of the sport in a slow and controlled manner, pushing the limits of your range of motion.

    Sport Mimicking Stretches

    • Dynamic stretches for combat sports are going to vary depending on the type of martial art you’re practicing. So for grappling sports, lunges with unilateral trunk rotation and static crunches with or without trunk rotation are effective stretches. So is the Superman, in which you start on all fours and then lift and hold your opposite arm and leg. For kickboxing, getting your leg up high on a mat, bar or other prop will help your stretch. Follow it up by doing slow sidekicks and hook kicks with proper form as you hold the prop for balance.

    Upper Body Stretches

    • If your combat art involves lots of strikes, punches or blocks, be sure to stretch your arms, shoulders and upper back. For dynamic stretches, bent elbow raises and rear delt rows will loosen up your back and shoulders. For static stretches, a popular choice is a bicep stretch, in which you reach your arm across your body and increase the stretch with your other hand. To balance the other side of your arm, do a tricep stretch by reaching one hand over your shoulder and down your back, with your elbow in the air. Use the other hand to gently pull the elbow back.

    Lower Body Stretches

    • Most martial arts use the legs extensively, either for kicking, grappling or simply staying in motion. Supine hamstring stretches, in which you lie down and put your leg straight up, or the seated variation of the modified hurdler stretch, are good static stretches. Even better is the yoga asana Downward Dog, in which you put hands and feet on the ground and lift your bent hips into the air. Moving your legs up and down slightly will increase the stretch in your hamstrings and calves, as will moving your hips back slightly. Hip openers, which come in a variety of forms in yoga, are excellent for increasing range of motion for sidekicks and roundhouse kicks. Runner’s lunges and stretches are also effective for loosening up your legs.