subject: Make Sure You Stretch Before Your Workout [print this page] The sign of a good workout is NOT sore muscles. Your body should work hard to ensure a good, fat-burning, muscle-building session, however, sore muscles are a sign of an improper warm-up or a buildup of lactic acid. Both of which can be helped by incorporating a solid stretching routine to your workout.
Cardio and strength training actually cause your muscles to contract so you need stretching to lengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and improve your performance. Balance is also quite important especially with age and proper stretching will keep your joints in good shape and help prevent injuries. A good stretch will increase the blood flow to your muscles and speed up the recovery after strenuous strength workouts, plus decrease muscle soreness. An added bonus: Stretching is also great for mental health, it relieves stress and relaxes muscles. Experts point out that it's important to practice proper stretching techniques.
1. Warm Up. Never stretch cold muscles. Warm ups are essential because cold muscles pose the risk of injury. Walk slowly, move your arms and legs before beginning to stretch.
2. Be sure to stretch before and after a workout. Fitness experts advise light stretching before exercising and a more rigorous one afterwards.
3. Hold Stretches for 30 seconds. If a muscle is tight, you might want to hold for up to a minute because it takes time to lengthen tissues safely.
4. Hold a pain-free stretch. Don't force any strech beyond mild muslce tension. If it hurts, you might have gone too far.
5. Breathe slowly and deeply. Your diaphragm is also a muscle. Deep breathing helps circulate blood and oxygen to your body, especially when stretching or lifting weights. Never hold your breath. If you're unable to take full breaths during a stretch, you're not using the proper form.
6. Stretch both sides. This assures equal range of motion on both sides of your body. Learning how to stretch properly is also important.
It's easy to pull or tear a muscle if you're using bad form. If you want to start a proper stretching routine, check to see if your gym offers a stretching or yoga class or, better yet, meet with a personal trainer to develop a well-rounded workout. Learning to stretch correctly takes time and effort, but is well worth it. You'll need to pay attention while stretching to be sure you're using proper form and breathing.
By adding stretching to your workout, you'll see an improvement in your posture as well. Relaxed muscles will help you reach better health and look younger.
