I always knew it was important to stretch before and after a workout, but my understanding stopped at "for preventing injury or increase flexibility". That all changed when I read an article in this month’s Women's Health. The most important thing I took away from this article is that by stretching before a workout your muscles respond more effectively during your workout. Without waking up your muscles before a workout you "spend more energy during your workout fighting against your body's limitations, rather than burning calories" That statement right there was enough to make me never skip my stretches again! In short, your workout will "feel easier and you will see faster results" by taking the time to get those stretches in.
A few points to remember when stretching:
* NO BOUNCING!!!! You run the risk of injury when you do this.
* AFTER your workout stretch again to help increase flexibility and prevent injury, after you have cooled down.
* Hold the stretch until you feel the muscle loosen a bit, then stretch a little bit deeper (as long as there is no pain) for an additional 15 seconds
* ALWAYS warm up for 3-5 min before beginning your stretch, this makes the muscles more supple (again, prevents injury and maximizes the effectiveness of the stretch)
* DO NOT hold your breath! Concentrating on your breathing so you don't forget.
* STOP if you feel faint, dizzy, or have any pain. You should stretch deeper to increase flexibility, but you should NEVER be in pain.
No comments:
Post a Comment