Static stretching involves stretching a muscle or muscle group to its full range of motion and then holding that position, which means holding still in that stretching position for a certain amount of time. A good example of a static chest stretch is the wide arm stretch, where you stand with feet shoulder-width apart and extend both arms straight out from your sides to stretch your arms back as much as you can.
Dynamic stretching involves stretching your body with movement, which means gently swinging your limbs through their full range of motion. Dynamic stretching should not be confused with ballistic stretching, which uses bouncing movements to move beyond your natural range of motion. Gentle dynamic stretching is much safer than the more intense ballistic stretching, which can cause injury. The wide arm stretch can also be performed dynamically by extending both arms straight out from your sides and gently swinging your arms back and forth through their full range of motion.
Passive stretching, also known as relaxed stretching, is when you relax a muscle or muscle group and a partner or static object is used to achieve a full range of motion and hold the stretch. Often confused with static stretching, passive stretching requires that relaxed muscles be pushed through their full range of motion by an outside force. An example is the arm on wall chest stretch, where you use the wall as a static object, and use it to stretch your chest by holding your arm on the wall and gently turning your torso away from your arm.
Isometric stretching involves stretching through the full range of motion against a partner or static object, but then contracting the muscle against the resistance. Isometric stretching requires that you resist against your partner or the static object as oppose to passive stretching, where you relax your muscles while stretching. The arm on wall chest stretch mentioned above can also be done isometrically by attempting to push against the wall while you stretch. Isometric stretching provides increased strength as well as flexibility.
