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Benefits of Stretching Exercises Stretching
exercises are a critical part of any exercise
routine. Stretching can help lengthen and prepare the muscles
for exercise or sports. There are debates as to whether or
not stretching before an exercise routine does in fact reduce the risk
of injury. There are also conflicts of how to stretch properly and how long a person should stretch. Even though these items are debated, it is general knowledge and agreed upon by the experts that there are benefits to performing stretching exercises. Here are some lower body stretches and upper body stretches. For a full list of stretching exercises on this site visit the free fitness videos page. Benefits of Stretching - Stretching for Health After a long workout of jogging on the treadmill or completing your circuit training routine, don’t dismiss the need to stretch out those muscles. The benefits of stretching go beyond just being part of a complete exercise routine and stretching the muscles.
When and How to Stretch To get the benefits of stretching exercises you want to make sure you do them correctly and do them at the right times. Here are some basics of stretching. Warm up your Muscles You should never stretch when your muscles have not yet been properly warmed up. Before doing your stretching exercises warm up for 5 to 10 minutes by lightly jogging or marching in place moving your legs and arms. Think of your muscles like a cold rubber band. When you stretch the rubber band when it is cold the rubber band has less give when trying to stretch it to the full length. If you stretch a cold rubber band to its full length it will more than likely snap and tear. The same goes for cold muscles. When the muscles are cold there is less give and so it you over stretch a cold muscle you risk injury. Stretch Before Exercise or Sports Although doing stretching exercises before a workout is widely debated, it is believed that stretching before certain activities can help minimize injury and gives you a wider range of motion during the activity. As a general rule, you should stretch before an aerobic exercise and active sports. Target Stretching
By stretching these major muscles you are properly getting them ready for your exercise routine or your every day activities. You should also target stretch specific muscles you plan on using during your workout or the activities you perform daily. Hold It When stretching you want to hold the stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds and up to 60 seconds for those really tight muscles. It takes time to safely lengthen the tissues and muscles, so be sure to hold the stretch for the maximum benefit of your stretching exercises. Count slowly or watch the second hand to make sure you are holding the stretch for the right amount of time. Additionally, don’t bounce during your stretch. You want to simply hold the stretch in place and deepen the hold it need be to really loosen the muscles. Bouncing the stretch can create small tears in the muscle. These tears can leave scar tissue during the healing process and this scar tissue causes the muscle to tighten even further. Pain is not the Goal You don’t have to “feel the pain” to be effective at stretching. You want to feel the tension while you stretch but not the pain. If you feel pain then loosen the stretch a bit until it is tense but not painful. Remember to breathe while you do your stretches and relax. Here are some fun but helpful desk stretching exercises for the whole body. Related Articles Benefits of Warming up and Cooling Down Before and after exercising you should always warm up, stretch, cool down and stretch again to keep your muscles flexible and prevent injury.
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