Why I’ve Began Stretching Every Day

Stretching is one of the key elements to benefitting from your training. A well-rounded exercise routine should include regular stretches. But this realistically is the part most of us often overlook. Until recently I found myself guilty of rarely scheduling time to stretch within my workouts.

Though it may not seem like the case, flexibility exercises are just as important as the cardio and strength training you do. Regular stretching encourages motion in joints, while improving circulation and posture and can help to alleviate stress.

Stretching is not only good for your physical health, but your mental health too. As mentioned above, it can be known to lessen the effects of stress and rid the body of tension. I’ve found stretching a great way to recharge the past few months.

Where to begin?

As it happens, there are different kinds of stretching techniques out there each designed to suit different forms of training. However, it is not overly complex to learn the basics. The three main types of stretches are:

· Static stretches: Static stretching usually involves stretching a muscle to its end point and holding this for about 30 seconds. This type is to be done at the end of a workout session when you are completely warm. The goal here is to help recover the muscles quicker. My go-to post workout stretches include:

• Hamstring stretch

• Quad stretch

• Abdominal stretch

• Shoulder and lower back stretch

· Dynamic stretches: Dynamic stretching, you may not have even realised this categorised as stretching. This is where you’ll repeatedly perform a movement similar to the activity you are going to do. This is a form of warming the body up to the exercise for example sitting in a squat position before lifting weights, or swinging your leg in front of your body before a kickboxing class. The idea is to increase circulation to prime the body for the workout.

Some things to remember

Just like with all other activates your perform, technique is key. Make sure to warm up your muscles before starting any form of stretching routine. This could even be just walking for five to ten minutes, or carrying out a few jumping jacks on the spot. But this could be the difference between improving your flexibility and causing injury to yourself.