On the 7th Day of Fitness I give you..... STRETCHING!! Stretching is often neglected and tends to be the least favourable part of a fitness program. However, stretching is JUST as important as the workout itself. Why do all the work of working out, building and strengthening muscles, just to let them get tight and cause problems down the road? For example, you do some sort of running or lower body exercise and work out your quads and hamstrings, but fail to stretch. You may not notice the effects right away, but over time, those muscles that arent being stretched out afterwards are tightening and tightening. Then, they start to pull downward on your pelvis and then cause your lower back to pain. See where Im going with this? Then one day you tweak your back and have bigger problems. Take the time to stretch:) Stretching has many benefits besides just preventing injury. Stretching increases range of motion and joint mobility, making everyday activities easier, stretching relives stress and calms the mind, improves posture, relieves and prevents low back pain, improves circulation (which results in more energy), and improves muscular coordination. Making sure to stretch after a workout helps to ensure that your muscles and tendons are in good working order and helps decrease muscle soreness and aids in recovery. So how can you incorporate stretching into your life? Try taking up a yoga class once a week. Introduce 5-10 minutes of stretching before bed to help calm the mind and body for sleep, make sure your muscles are warm (stretching first thing in the morning may not be a good idea with cold, stiff muscles). And always be sure to stretch after a workout:) Happy Stretching! *Be sure to LIKE and SHARE this post to be entered to win a FREE class at VP Fitness!
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 14:40:29 +0000
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