The Importance of Stretching — 3 Things You Need to Know
Stretching is an important step in every workout routine. It helps increase your agility and flexibility before you undergo a rigorous physical exercise. Unfortunately, not many people know that they have the wrong idea about how and when to do stretching. This is why many people often have ineffective workouts or end up with permanent damage to their bodies without even knowing it.
The importance of proper stretching
It’s typical for runners and athletes to keep a consistent and effective stretching routine. However, it’s also useful to other people who are prone to diabetes, depression and arthritis. Stretching helps improve blood flow, boost oxygen levels and remove metabolic wastes in our bodies such as ammonia and uric acid.
The issue now comes with the proper way of stretching. Although its damage is minimal at first, continued improper stretching routines can create a build-up of damage to your body.
If you want to confirm or clarify what you know about proper stretching, here are three things you should know:
1. Warm-up first before you stretch
It’s a common misconception that stretching should come first before exercise. However, it’s better to perform warm-ups first before pulling your muscles. Jogging slowly or getting your blood pumping with an exercise bike is an excellent way to prepare your body to get more benefits from stretching.
Remember to keep your warm-up in between your stretching and your actual exercise routine. Don’t just go straight to running a marathon before you give your body the stretching it needs. Spend at least 5 minutes to warm up, another five to stretch and then you can start with the actual workout.
2. Stretch all your muscles and joints before you exercise
When stretching, it’s necessary to go over all the muscles that you’ll use to avoid any injuries. For example, runners need to stretch their lower body and even their core muscles to ensure that they’re fit to run. People who want to head to the treadmill know that stretching their quads, calves and hamstrings are crucial. However, it’s also important to give attention to your iliotibial band (IT).
The IT band is a fibrous tissue that goes from your hip to below your knee. It stabilises your knee joint’s movement and prevents it from staying stiff during exercises. If you fail to stretch these tissues, it can lead to pain and inflammation due to the IT band syndrome. Remember to stretch before and after your run to prevent any lactic acid buildup in your body.
3. Be mindful of overstretching your tendons
Our muscles can stretch up to one and a half times from its original length. In contrast, our tendons aren’t close to being as flexible. If you’re stretching your tendons, you should be extremely cautious with overstretching them. Going only as near as 4% beyond its resting shape will cause permanent damage over time. This is where people usually get injuries if they stretch too quickly or too far from its resting state.
Conclusion
Stretching offers many benefits on its own, even without using it as a precursor to your workout. However, you should still listen to your body’s limits and know when you are doing too little or too much of any physical activity. Just like weightlifting, proper form and execution is a necessary part of enjoying stretching’s benefits.
Stretch Studio offers one-on-one assisted stretching in Brisbane that focuses on the many powerful effects of stretching to the human body. Our flexologists are experts in assisting clients with posture exercises. Book a session with us today and experience how our assisted stretching services can improve your lifestyle!