Information you should know about flexibility training.

Flexibility plays an important role in keeping your body fit and capable of optimally performing tasks. Stretching will help increase your range of motion and can also aid muscle recovery.

Static Stretching
Any stretch that requires you to hold a certain position is a static stretch. For a long time these stretches were performed as warm ups before physical activity. That is no longer a common site and for a good reason: When you perform static streatches you are temporarily weakening and reducing the tone of the muscles involved. When you get up to perform an activity your body will not be as well balanced because there is an unuasual variance in the forces of opposing muscles. This should not affect everyday activities (such as walking or driving), but it will affect stranious activities such as running or weight lifting. These stretches are ideally performed after physical activity to reduce the build up of lactic acid and before bed when you wont be moving them for an extended period.

Dynamic Stretching
These are stretches that involve constant motion of the muscles involved in them. These stretches should be performed as warm ups before vigorous exercising. When done correctly they can greatly decrease the risk of injury during exercise. These are also good stretches for the mornings after having just woken up. (Basically, they are an opposite of static stretches above.)