Sure, your gym teacher in elementary school talked about stretching, but why should you do it now? You are fit. You are completely comfortable before and after your workout. So, what is it that you could possibly gain from a few simple and boring stretches? Unfortunately, this frame of mind is one that will leave you with the potential to be at risk. In fact, in some instances, athletes have reported an injury rate of 50 percent fewer over extending injuries when they do stretch as compared to those that do not stretch. It is worth the few extra minutes to make this happen.
Here are a few of the things you’ll gain by stretching before and after your workout or your physical event.
• Stretching provides flexibility to your body. This flexibility is essential to gain a full range of motion for the exercise or physical challenge you plan to put your body through.
• Stretching helps to prevent soreness after your workout. That dull pain that means you did have a good workout can be lessened. In fact, stretching helps to prepare your muscles to recover faster as well as promotes good muscle growth.
• Stretching helps to prevent problems with your posture too. With more, well build muscles, your body is capable of moving easier and more effectively.
• Stretches will increase your range of motion, allowing you to gain faster.
• Stretching keeps your muscles healthy, not only right now but well into the future beyond your active years of exercise.
• You reduce the risk of injury when you do stretching exercises that are appropriate for the activity that you will be doing before you do it. There are far fewer over extensions that happen.
• Stretching helps to build muscles that are larger, better capable of fitting your needs and muscles that burn fat faster than muscles that don’t. You get better quality muscles then without stretching.
• Stretching also makes your muscles look better. They look more natural, more toned and more alluring then without stretching.
Stretching does quite a bit for anyone that has the need to workout. No matter if you are working out because you need to lose weight, because you want to build muscles or just because you plan to run a 5 mile run next week. Adding it into your workout will aid you in becoming a well build muscle machine.