Stretching keeps our muscles flexible and healthy. Stretching our muscles after exercise whether it's walking, fitness classes or jogging will help to maintain a good range of movement within our joints. Without any stretching our muscles become tight and shorten, they become weaker and will not be able to extend in any way. This will in turn put you at risk of joint pain, instability, strains and muscle damage.
As with anything worth maintaining or improving, it will take time and consistency. Lower limb muscles such as calve or hamstring muscles (back of the thigh) may take some time to lengthen and regain flexibility. Years of not stretching these muscles will not recoup flexibility after a couple of weeks, however stretching regularly will make a huge difference to regaining some sort of flexibility. For example, if you have a sedentary job where you are seated for most of the day without stretching, will leave you with tight hamstrings. It will become increasingly difficult to straighten your knee and extend your leg, which in turn hinders your walking abilities.
There are several forms of stretching and it is important to activate muscles prior to exercise as well as stretching worked muscles post exercise. It is equally as important that the correct stretching exercises are performed at the right time.
Prior to exercise some sort of stretch is required to warm up your muscles. Dynamic Stretches are stretching exercise with movement and these stretches should be used as a warm up before you participate in any form of exercise.
Static stretching comes to mind when we think about stretching. This type of stretching is performed after your workout. These types of stretching exercises will lengthen and extend your muscles. Hold a static stretch for approximately 15 seconds. You can also static stretch during the day to loosen your muscles and joints. If you are seated all day.....add a few hamstring and calf stretches to your day to lengthen tight muscles
- Increases flexibility
- Increases range of movement
- Increases blood flow to your muscles
- Lengthens muscles and relieves tightness
- Improves performance prior to physical activity
- Improves posture
- Calms the mind
- Stress reliever