Read 26 times since Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Stretching before workouts is important to get your blood flowing, but even more important is stretching after your workouts. This is going to release lactic acid and spread tension deep into the inner muscle to completely finish your workout.
After workouts and stretches many people say R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation), but even better than that is M.I.C.E., meaning move it. When you rest a muscle the blood and circulation is decreased this can lead to muscle atrophy; if you want to have better muscles you simply have to increase the blood flow by moving and using your muscles.
So after your workouts do stretches then finish it off with a walk and light movements, just to get the blood flowing. This is going to drastically change your performance, that is, if you do not already do this, if you do, do this, than you probably already know how effective this simple procedure is.
A very important stretch not commonly practiced is the lying leg cross over or piriformis stretch. To do this, lay on your back and cross your legs, pretend like you are sitting with your foot on your knee... but in a lying position.
This stretch is very important for athletes that have to often change direction, such as tennis players. I have noticed a lot though the new sport of Parkour, these crazy kids definitely need to stretch before and after their routines, or they will walk like they are 50 when they are 45.
What the piriformis stretch does is it pulls the glutes and the hips, which is very important for rapid direction change. This is also good to have for runners who need a good base flexibility.
Another good exercise is the hip flexor stretch. This one is done in kneeling position as if you are being knighted, like Elton John.
Lean on one knee directly under your buttocks with your front foot placed firmly on the ground. For added tension raise your arms into the air and lean forward lightly.
Studies have shown that 15 minutes of stretching everyday have drastically changed the physical abilities of subjects in multiple scenarios. The trick is to find a comfortable tension and hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.
Too much tension, when it gets painful, is going to be detrimental to your muscle and too little is not going to have an effect. So find yourself a comfortable median to practice at.
Day by day you will notice your stretches get deeper and deeper, this is to be expected. Remember to do these every morning, every night, before and after every workout, and with brushing of the teeth (no, you don't have to stretch while you brush your teeth, but you can if you want). Destry Masterson is a health, fitness and nutrition expert. She has written articles about exercise and recommends http://www.proform.com for information about exercise equipment.
Contact Info:
Destry Masterson - MyOnlineArticleWriting@gmail.com - Twitter: @DestryMasterson
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