Importance of Stretching
July 10, 2009
You must have heard your gym instructor shout out “Stretch, stretch more” lots of time, but you haven’t paid much heed on it’s importance. If it wouldn’t be good for our health why would sportsmen be seen stretching so often.
It is very important to get up and stretch the body parts that you have worked out; it can be your legs, your back or your arms. Many of us avoid it completely, we say to ourselves “Isn’t it enough that we take out time to exercise, how we can take out extra time to STRETCH…”
What we don’t understand is that stretching is one of the most important part of any exercise regime. The strenuous exercise we torture our body with leaves our muscles to flex and contract.
You tissues and muscles tend to become shorter, and less flexible, hence becoming stiff and weak. They become prone to injury also, if you want to maintain balance you have to unlock them, and so you need to stretch. Regular stretch exercise will be very beneficial for not only your muscles but your entire body.
Experts say if you regularly do Stretching it is very useful for your body. Muscles become more flexible by stretching and would help you exercise better, it would leave you more energetic for your daily work, it improves the movement of your joints. Stretching works wonders for circulation, it improves your body posture. Stretching is really effective for your mental stress and works magic for your stress problems.
If you sit in front of your computer for long hours, stretching is extremely essential for your body. If you stretch you can avoid straining you arms, legs and of course your back. On has to be careful that he/she maintains the right posture in front of their computer, stretching helps in realigning your body, and fight the strain.
Stretching is extremely important for people who travel by air frequently; if you keep your legs hanging for a long time your blood flow will be hampered.
If you are into professional dancing you will vouch for the importance of stretching before your dance routine, a warm up for 10 minutes is extremely important as your need to control your breath while dancing. Athletes and people who follow a fitness routine also swear on the importance of stretch.
You have to be very careful while stretching; you want to relax your body not strain in further. Many people bounce while stretching; this is a bad idea. As bouncing is swift, abrupt and sharp, this can be very harmful for your muscles.
While stretching focus on the muscle you are working on and then gradually intensify your stretch to a particular level, you should only feel mild pain when you stretch. Do not overdo it as it can lead to severe injury.
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