Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Before beginning a new fitness regime, consult your personal physician or trainer to determine what intensity and frequency of workouts is right for you. A workout plan that includes stretching will have immediate benefits, including limbering up your muscles for exercise and preventing injury. To see the longer term benefits, such as increased flexibility and range of motion, stretch at least three days a week for at least 10 minutes a day. Spend time with each muscle group, holding each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. A month into your routine, you should begin to see some improvement in your flexibility.
When practiced frequently, stretching can help improve your athletic performance. After a few months of stretching each muscle group for 30 to 60 seconds a day, you will begin to show results. Stretching this often will decrease stiffness in muscles so that they do not need as much energy to move. As a result, muscle contractions and force can improve, leading to improved athletic performance. In addition to enhancing your performance, stretching frequently can help keep you safe during sporting activity. Always warm up with a light form of cardio, such as a walk or jog, before you begin stretching. When your muscles are loose and sufficiently warmed, they will be less likely to tear or pull. Athletes who have extreme inflexibility are at a greater risk of injury during exercise.
Your new stretching routine should target all major muscles groups, including your upper and lower body and core. Stretches that target the lower body include the lying or standing quadriceps stretch as well as the lying, sitting and standing hamstring stretches. Your calves can be stretched while bracing yourself against a wall and stepping back with one leg. Press your heel to the floor until you feel the stretch. Your arms can be stretched with the triceps and biceps stretch, and your shoulders with the cross-chest stretch. Stretch your core muscles with stretches such as the lying abdominal stretch, the latissimus dorsi stretch and, for your lower back, the mild back stretch.
Stretching frequently will not be effective if you are not stretching properly. Pay attention to your technique as you stretch to avoid injury to tight muscles. Apply only gentle pressure to each stretch and breathe deeply, holding the stretch for at least 30 seconds. Do not bounce. Stretch only to the point of tension. If you feel pain, release the stretch.