Stretching - What You Need to Know

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

28 Dec 2006 09:17 AM

My daughter's least favorite part of dance class and gymnastics - even her horseback riding lessons is stretching. I can't say that stretching is my favorite part of a workout, but stretching is fundamental - you wouldn't bake a cake without pre-heating the oven, would you?

Still, stretching is important when it comes to your flexibility and while stretching doesn't help your muscles strengthen or your body to lose weight - it does help you to warm up properly and reduce the risk of injury. Too often when we're short on time, stretching is the first thing we drop off our to do list and it shouldn't be.

I know plenty of athletes and professionals that hate to stretch out, so don't feel bad if you hate it too. Stretching regularly can increase the flexibility in your joints and it can help you to be more fluid in your movements. The simple fact is that as you age the tendons, the tissues that connect your muscles to your bones get shorter and tougher and that decreases your ability to move.

Short & Stiff Movements

Stretching increases the flexibility of those tendons and helps you to prevent your stride from becoming short and stiff. Stretching can also improve your posture and keep your back from tightening up uncomfortably. For those of you who work in an office day to day as I do, sitting in front of a keyboard, typing - your lower back and shoulders take the brunt of the abuse. Soon, you may find your shoulders rolling forward and your back curved and it will become harder and hard to stand straight.

Stretching may not burn calories and it may not tone up your muscles, but it will help you to correct the imbalances in your muscles. Imagine for a moment that your quadriceps is very powerful, but your hamstrings are not. This can actually throw you off when you are walking and it can make your gait uneven. Stretching can help your hamstrings and help you to prevent the negative side effects of this imbalance.

Do you make stretching a regular part of your workout routine?

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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