Importance of Stretching

Stretching does more for your body than merely leaving you smooth, flexible and injury free. Stretching allows you to move better and ultimately gain better posture and can help in preventing things like arthritis.

A lot of people jump right into the gym or their exercises without stretching first and that can cause a lot of damage to your muscles. It is highly important that after a workout, even in the morning when you wake up to thoroughly stretch your muscles. A common mistake that many people make while doing their stretching exercises is the bouncing movement while in the stretch. This isn’t the proper way to effectively stretch your muscles because it's a sharp, abrupt movement which can cause damage to the muscles. Focusing more on the specific muscle that you are stretching and gradually push your limit without causing yourself pain is typically the more effective way of stretching.

Additionally, moving slowly and gently into the stretch is typically correct way. When practiced correctly, stretching is an essential part of any fitness regimen and can help you to avoid injury, increase flexibility and have better posture.

Some stretching exercises include:

-       Abdominal Lat Stretch

-       Abdominal Twists

-       Hurdles Stretch

-       Standing Hamstring Stretch

-       Chest and Bicep Flexibility Stretch

-       Forearm Stretch

-       Calf Stretch

-       Butt and Hamstring Stretch

-       Groin Stretch

-       Neck Rotations

-       Triceps and Lat Stretch

Stretching exercises help to relieve stress as they get the blood flowing - improving circulation while adding flexibility and relieving muscle tension. Working all day, no matter what your day consists of, our bodies become tense, and starting your stretch right from when you wake up enforces many benefits for our body’s muscles and bones.

Posted By: Nicole Spadafora