Q: What is the most common, easily preventable mistake you see clients and athletes make?

A: Just one? 

There are a few I could choose from, but it seems like everyone makes this common mistake.

Heck- I made this mistake all the time.

Stretching when you're cold. 

How many timed have I heard of people getting right out of bed and stretching?

Stretching is great.  Stretching feels great.  But stretching a cold muscle decreases neural recruitment of the muscle which makes you weaker, and more prone to injury.

Stretching cold accomplishes the exact opposite of what you set out to do in the first place.

An analogy: Your muscles are like a piece of spaghetti pasta.  Right out of the box (cold) It is brittle.  You can bend it a little, but put any sort of tension on it and... SNAP...  Now you have two pieces of pasta.

But heat that pasta up.  Throw it in some water.  Let it boil.  Now it is the most flexible material known to man.

Your muscles are like pasta.  Move them cold: SNAP.  Heat them up a little and voila- you're doing splits in no time.

So warm up.  Go for a walk.  Break a sweat.  When your body starts to feel a little heat you're ready to stretch.  

This is how I spot a good yoga instructor: They will run you through a few sun salutations, get you moving, get you sweating and only then will they go in for the deep stretch work.  They work you up to those deep bends and twists.  Someone who knows yoga, but not the body, will start you off with the deep stretch; and deep stretching when your body isn't ready only pisses off your muscles.  This happens more often than you think.

So no more stretching first thing.  Walk around, move with purpose, and lucky you, we care so much about you not making this mistake we made a short video complete with our warm up recommendations.  just punch that button below that says STRETCH ME OUT and BOOM... mind blown.  Life change..