The importance of Stretching & Quick Stretching Routine…
Why is Stretching so Important ???
Stretching after a workout should be an essential part of your routine but often stretching is neglected, especially at the end of a training session! When people do stretch, they often rush through their routine and do not get the full benefit for each one.
We stretch to improve our flexibility. Flexibility is the range of motion that is available to a joint or joints and is important because:
- It improves muscle balance around a joint, thus improving posture
- It reduces the chance of injury when playing a sport or in every day activities
- It increases the blood flow/drainage and nutrient supply to muscles and cartilage, thereby also reducing muscle soreness after training.
Stretching Correctly!
Stretching should not be done as a warm-up to an activity as you could injure your muscles if stretching them when they are cold. At least 3 to 5 minutes of cardiovascular training is recommended to warm up the muscles sufficiently. Each major muscle group should be stretched slowly and with control, holding each stretch for 1 to 3 sets of 15 to 60 seconds. Hold each stretch at the point of mild tension or tightness, not to the point of pain.
It is important to stretch after doing any physical activity. Lactic acid builds in the muscle and stretching aids the removal. When muscles perform any exercise, they tighten and shorten, stretching them out helps to restore and improve their length. When doing strength training, you could stretch each muscle group directly after performing each set.
Easy to follow routine:
These stretches are a great full body stretch that can be done in around 7-10 minutes. Including stretches into your daily routine will produce physical benefits without realising it, but just because we might not notice huge differences, thats not a reason to neglect them. Physical agility, balance, posture and fluid dynamics, to name but a few will all will be improved thus resulting in a healthier quality of life.
Author: Lloyd Tilney