How many times have you heard that or even thought that in your mind?
Honestly, for me, it took me getting hurt or dealing with some type of pain before it really dawned on me to take time out to stretch. Why is that?
Honestly, just not making the time for it. I ask myself this same question the other day like Fee why is it so hard to take time out to stretch. Honestly, for me, it was just all about making time for it. I was making time for my runs, making time for my workouts but yet miraculously I didn't have time to really stretch.
Sadly, even as an athletic trainer often times I don't practice what I preached. I say it's important to stretch because it will help in decreasing injuries but yet in still even for me it took me getting hurt again for me to truly realize how important it is to stretch.
So seriously why stretch?
5 Benefits of Stretching
1. Stretching can prevent injuries.
When you take time out to stretch you are helping make the muscles pliable. Think of it this way. When a muscle is tight and then you try and do a movement that stretches that muscle you are more likely to pull the muscle because it is so tight. However, if I stretch the muscle and that muscle is nice and lose you're less likely to pull or strain that muscle.
2. Stretching can improve posture.
Tight muscles can cause poor posture which can lead to other problems and pain.
3. Stretching can decrease muscle soreness.
Wow really, yes. Stretching can help alleviate the discomfort from a workout. When you take time out to stretch a muscle after a workout you help in decreasing the muscle soreness.
4. Stretching helps improve range of motion.
So you know how you have always wanted to gain flexibility? Stretching helps to increase the range of motion. We lose range of motion when we are building muscles because the muscles become tighter. Stretching helps to elongate the muscle from that tightness, therefore, increasing the range of motion. Even if some joints the range of motion is limited, stretching can help improve this.
5. Stretching can decrease back pain.
This goes hand and hand with poor posture and tight muscles. When our hips or back of our legs (hamstrings) our tight then we put a lot of pressure on our low back which causes back pain. In addition, if we have poor posture in our upper back then we cause more pressure in our low back which can increase back pain. Stretching helps to alleviate back pain by improving posture and decreasing tight muscles.
So the next time that you are running out of the gym or finishing up a run and heading straight to the car think about these things and take the time out to stretch. Your body will then you later.
Want a quick flow before a workout/run?
Check out my runner flow HERE.
With love,
Felicia
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