I thought stretching was a warm up before more intense exercising to avoid pulling muscles. However, in the app challenge they present stretching as something to do after exercising. How do I warm up before exercising?

I think you can stretch before AND after exercising. I’m not an expert, but the point of stretching before is to get your muscles warm and your heart beating. I think of walking as a form of warm up before running. Then, after, you can stretch to help soothe the muscles after an exercise. Keep doing what you’re doing!

It depends on your body and how you feel that day! I know some friends jump right into exercising without much more than shaking their bodies out. For me, I know my ankles are usually stiff and my hips need a little attention before I start moving intensely. Slowing down and checking in with what your body wants is more important than following some prescribed approach. The debate around stretching is contentious for this reason — everyone is different and every time you approach exercise, your body is in a different condition. So do what feels right for you!