Stretching Tips With Louis Smith
People often underestimate the importance of stretching. Doing so before and after each and every workout is highly recommended. A simple 5 minute stretch will help avoid injury, help to maintain flexibility and relieve tension in the body. The thing is, many people have no idea how to stretch properly and therefore skip it all together. Fortunately, stretching is very simple. Here are a few very simple and useful stretching tips.
Warm Up and Cool Down
As previously said, it is very important to stretch before and after every workout. Muscles have to be warmed up before starting any activity. It increases blood flow to these tissues, increases your body temperature and revs up your cardiovascular system while cooling down helps the body gradually recover in terms of heart rate, temperature and blood pressure.
Arms and Shoulders
A great tip for stretching the arms and shoulders is holding them out to the sides and pressing against a wall with your palms. This is going to target the arms and shoulder as well as the neck which is often an area of tension. The pectoral muscles will also get a good stretch.
Calves
For the calves lean, against a wall and push one foot forward. The motion is one very similar to a lunge. From here bend your knees until you feel it in your calves and then switch sides. This stretch is very useful for activities like running and jogging.
Hamstrings
To properly stretch the hamstrings begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight. Extend legs and stretch all the way to your toes. To stretch, arch your back forward and have your gym partner press down on your back to intensify the stretch. For those without a gym partner simply press down as much as you can until you really feel the stretch in your hamstrings. You can also lie down on the floor and stretch one leg at a time by using your hands to push back each leg.
Glutes and More
Stretching the glutes is also very important. A great way to do so is with splits Not everyone can do the splits but you can gradually progress until you can go all the way down. Splits not only stretch the gluteal muscles but also stretches the groin. No one ever wants to pull their groin. That can be very painful.
Diet
Many may not know this but diet is significant to stretching. You have to eat well in order to maintain a healthy, flexible and fit body. This requires clean eating which includes eating fresh, whole foods such as lean proteins, good carbs and healthy fats. Never underestimate the importance of a balanced diet.
With the stretching tips above you will have an effective warm up and cool down with each and every workout. After the first time you implement these tips you will feel the difference and that difference will improve your workouts. When stretching just make sure to cover all the areas of the body mentioned. A full body stretch is the way to go.
