While you may not be the type of person that is into a heavy training program or doing a lot of exercises, at the very least what you can do for your body is learning how to implement some good stretching. There are a lot of good benefits to this that many don’t realize.
One of the best features of stretching is that it can be done anywhere. It is easy to do in your home without the requirement of any type of equipment. You can do it through your breaks at work and at lunch. You can do it at the park when you are looking after the kids. It is important to remember that while stretching is extremely good for the body if it is not done correctly it can do you some substantial harm.
Some exercise experts believe that stretching is part of the warm-up regime. While it can be included in the warm-up exercises before going into a full workout it is only part of it. It is suggested that before getting into some real stretching that you do some light warm-ups such as light walking, low-intensity biking, or some jogging. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes at the most and this way your muscles have now become warmed up which is the purpose of warm-up. You won’t run the risk of stretching cold muscles. You also have the alternative of being able to do your stretch exercises after you’ve done your regular exercise regime.
It used to be that many athletes that were doing track and field would do stretches prior to their event. Now some experts are saying that this really isn’t a wise idea as it could actually hurt their performance.
Know what your limitations are especially when it comes to your degree of motion. You want to keep the symmetry of your stretches applicable to the capabilities of your body. Make sure that you focus on stretches
When you are doing your stretches make sure that you do them in segments that address the major muscle groups. This would be your neck and shoulders, your thighs and hips, your lower back, and your calves.
You are quite aware of the muscles and joints that you use the most throughout the day, especially at work. You want to make sure that these are well-exercised through stretching routines to keep them strong. Make sure that if you find that you use the left side of your body more than the right for example, that you give stretching exercises special attention to your right size to keep your body in balance.
When doing stretching, make sure you stretch in a smooth movement don’t bounce or be jerky as this is hard on the muscles.
What makes stretching even more beneficial is being able to hold the stretch for a short period of time. Make sure that you breathe normally throughout your stretches. You should not experience pain when you’re stretching but you should feel firm tension. If you’re feeling pain then you have gone overboard.