When you warm up for a Cardio Class workout is it safe to stretch or not and what types of stretching do you use?
Static stretches do not increase core body temperature in and of themselves, so they don’t “warm” the body anyway, but having them in the warmup after you’ve done some rhythmic limbering, movement rehearsal, and perhaps some dynamic (not ballistic) stretching would be fine. Static stretches performed before a cardio workout aren’t going to be the problem that they would be prior to a strength or power workout, so no worries on that score. Static stretches done before power/strength exercise have been shown to reduce quadriceps strength by as much as 12%, and to negate the elastic energy created during the stretch-shorten cycle (this cycle is known to potentiate the body’s ability to perform at its best in activities such as vertical jump, etc.).