Get The Lowdown on Stretching

One of the natural human activities is stretching. For some people, it's the first thing they do upon waking up. There are lots of benefits in stretching. Your muscles will be relaxed and your flexibility will be improved with stretching. After working out, stretching can minimize your muscle soreness. With this, you are able to increase your range of motion which is necessary in performing activities of daily living. Fitness trainers usually incorporate stretching into their client's fitness programs. There is still some controversy on the role of stretching in injury prevention. You should warm up your muscles before you perform stretching. There are evidences that this may prevent injury when performed properly.

Stretching can be done before and after an activity. Stretching before and after working out may provide you with lots of benefits. It should be done after warming up. You are at risk of acquiring injury if you do this when your muscles are stiff and less pliable. Stretching should not be included in your warm up routine. Usually, we utilize cardio exercises as our warm ups. It can also be an exercise that is part of your routine but at a lower intensity. Do 10 to 15 minutes of warm up. Aging causes us to lose some of our flexibility. Even as we age, it would be best to maintain a good range of motion. In this way, we will be able to perform our daily activities independently.

Exercise activities commonly utilize static stretches. Static stretches may be active or pssive. Dynamic stretches involve speed of movement, momentum and active effort. Static stretches hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Movement is involved in dynamic stretches. Think arm circles and walking lunges. Both dynamic and static stretches can improve flexibility and range of motion. Static stretches however can affect immediate physical performance. You should avoid static stretches before the game if you are an athlete. Other types of stretches are ballistic, isometric and PNF or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. PNF is a combination of static and isometric exercises.

There are a lot of static stretches that you can use as part of your fitness routine. It addresses all parts of the body and can help towards achieving greater flexibility and range of motion. The most common stretches observed in the gym are tricep, quadricep, hamstring, side, chest and shoulder stretches. Hips, neck and the lower legs can also be stretched. Ask your fitness trainer how to properly execute these stretches. Stay safe.

If you can, make it a point to include stretching in your workout routine. There can be lots of benefits you may get from stretching if you can do it properly. It elongates the muscles of your arms, legs and torso. You will be able to improve your over all health as well as the aesthetics of your muscles. You will be able to have sleek and attractive muscles if you consistently stretch.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Weider Pro 230 Weight Lifting Bench, Weider Total Body Works 5000 Home Gym. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.