Active stretching is performed without any aid or assistance. This form of stretching uses the power of the antagonist muscles to generate stretching in the muscles we are targeting, the agonists. The contraction of the opposite muscles actually helps us relax the muscles that we are stretching.
An example of such stretching is when an individual raises the straightened leg to the highest point and then holds that position without any assistance. Active stretching can be useful both in rehabilitation and as a very effective conditioning exercise before moving on to dynamic stretching.
This type of stretching is very difficult to hold for a long period of time, so we hold these positions for 10-15 seconds.
