Benefits of Stretching Before and After Exercise
By AshleyLast week my husband and I drove back to our home-town which is about a six hour drive to meet our new little niece who was born on October 29th. She’s the cutest little thing of course, and we really enjoyed our time with her and our families. We had so much we wanted to do while we were there and so many people that we wanted to see that I didn’t get any exercise in whatsoever. Now that were back home, I’m finding it hard to get back into my routine of getting up in the morning to go to the gym, especially with the cold weather we’ve had! Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to get out of the habit of exercising?
This week my goal is to get back into the habit of getting up in the morning to go exercise, and either taking a walk at night or doing my yoga. I always feel so much better when I do this, yet sometimes its still so hard to do. Part of my exercise routine always involves some stretching, so today I thought we’d talk about the benefits of stretching before and after exercise. And yes, I said after exercise! Many people only think to stretch before, yet stretching afterwards is just as important. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are a few benefits of stretching:
- Stretching increases flexibility
- Stretching improves range of motion of your joints
- Stretching improves circulation
- Stretching promotes better posture
- Stretching can relieve stress
- Stretching may help prevent injury
Now that you know the benefits of stretching, here are a few stretching essentials:
- Target major muscle groups
- Warm up first
- Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds
- Don’t bounce (this can tear the muscle)
- Focus on a pain-free stretch
- Relax and breathe freely
- Additional Reading:
- Benefits of Walking to Lose Weight
- Healthful Benefits of Eating Apples
- Benefits of Walking for 30 Minutes
- Four Easy Diet and Exercise Tips
- Exercise Tip: Burn More Fat by Watching Music Videos!
