6 Ways Stretching Improves Your Workout
“Don’t be lazy!” That is a quote I want you to repeat to yourself about five times before you hit the gym and even consider skipping out on a pre-workout stretch. Stretching is not just for the Pilates and yoga gurus. Despite all the amazing benefits of stretching, people shy away from it as if it doesn’t have any value at all.
All it seems to be is a time-waster and most adults, age 25 and up, either think they don’t have time for it, or refuse to make time to do it. Questions is, WHY? I’ll feign ignorance on this one and bet that there reason most people don’t do it is because they fail to see any tangible benefit in stretching. That’s why I’m here today to share with you six great ways that stretching can improve your health and your workout.
Stretching and Casual Health:
1. Stretching can be an enjoyable
Let’s face it; a lean body is a good-looking one. If you want to start off with the first steps to confidence-building, begin in the mirror. Pep talks can only go so far if the person staring back at you isn’t happy with what he or she sees. Classes that incorporate stretching and exercise do a great job of leaning out the body and adding and taking away curves where appropriate. Many people feel timid about going to the gym, or adverse to the thought of exercise, either out of fear of looking awkward or hurting themselves. But, once you start a routine that makes progress, your confidence will increase and you’ll find yourself indulging more and more. You start to realize how much you CAN do, which is a powerful motivator!
2. Stretching can help reduce your appetite
Appetite you say, Braxton? Yes, appetite. Here’s the real truth about appetite: no one action, pill, burst of knowledge, situation, etc. is going to have an absolute effect one way or the other. But there are some steps that we can take towards positively affecting it. How about a quick stretch before eating? This accomplishes two things: 1. it slows you down. Studies show that when we’re keyed up and in a hurry, we eat faster, which means we’re likely to have eaten more than we might have liked by the end of the meal. 2. it relieves stress, allowing you to release emotions and tension that may fuel bad eating habits.
When it comes to working out, s-t-r-e-t-c-h!
3. Stretching helps you exercise longer
Stretching loosens muscles and tendons, which assists in relieving muscle fatigue. It’s no secret that as we age, we become less flexible (losing collagen and elastin in muscle fibers), as we become more sedentary. By stretching, we warm up those ‘sleepy areas’ of our body and make them initiate movement. The warmer a muscle is, the better it performs, making workout endurance improve per session.
4. Stretching makes you feel less tired
When you sit still for long periods of time, blood pools in the muscles, and circulate less into the heart, lungs and brain. This can make you feel sluggish, very easily. The best thing to do when you hit the gym after work is to start moving early and often. By increasing the blood flow again, you will begin to wake the body up. It’s the equivalent of starting your car and letting it warm-up in cold weather climates before taking it out of the driveway. By moving away from your desk every twenty minutes or so is enough to help relieve fatigue.
5. Stretching helps you sleep more soundly
This is for the ladies: if you’re postmenopausal. A regular morning routine of stretching and light exercise has been proven to give you a good night’s sleep, compared to women who do no exercise or exercise in the evening. Beyond that, flexible muscles are less likely to spasm through the night and allow proper healing post exercise than tight muscle that are swollen and inflamed.
6. Stretching makes you less prone to injury
If anyone reading this article read my book, Fat Free For Life, you’ll remember my beginning confessional of my clavicle injury and how frustrating it was to be slowed for over one year with the nagging pain. Ultimately, I decided to just push through it but not after losing valuable time. Thing is, I could have avoided the injury had I been more dedicated to a good stretching routine. You’ll be less likely to get an injury: Stretching reminds your brain and the central nervous system of the optimal length of each muscle and the timing and speed of contractions, making you less prone to injury during movements.
With at least 10 – 15 minutes of stretching prior to exercise, you’ll have better coordination and it’ll be less likely for your muscles to rip and tear. So continue to keep the focus and add make room and time for stretching. Progress is only a minute or two away. That’s it for now. Keep the focus.
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