The Importance Of Stretching, Don't Overlook! It Piles Upon You Heaps Of Good!

Admit It! Do You Tend To Overlook
The Importance Of Stretching
In Your Exercise Program?

Don't! Importance of stretching isn't a cliche, it's actually a flexibility training program for you!

Really, stretching's role is often brushed aside as we're more concerned with toning and strengthening our major muscles groups, growing our muscle strength and keeping our heart and lungs cardio-respiratorily fit.

Stretching is actually an important component of an overall balanced exercise program.

If you don't do stretching, you're missing an important part in your overall health!

Hence, a balanced exercise program should consist of the following components:

Notice? Strecthing is in there!

Take heart, the importance of stretching isn't about to diminish simply because you and I (Hey! Mostly it's me really!) think that it's "secondary" to cardio, strength training and toning exercise!

I used to think like that.........

I didn't know then that stretching could give me lots of flexibility which I really need, to be limber, agile and flexible in my body and in my movements.

I want to be a little bit hard.......

I want to knock some hard facts on the importance of stretching into you, so that they stay in you and you really treat streching as an important component of your exercise program.

Let's shoot.

Stretching is important because:

It increases your flexibility in your joints and muscles. Imagine you've a flexible body - it'll be easier for you in your movements and in carrying out your daily activities. A flexible joint requires less energy to move through a wider range of motion and a flexible body improves your overall performance by creating more energy-efficient movement

It improves your range of motion which in turn helps to slow the degeneration of your joints

It reduces your risk of injury as a flexible muscle is less likely to injure from any extended movement. Stretching would have increased your range of motion in a particular joint or muscle, hence you could decrease the resistance on your muscles

It reduces tension in your muscles and brings relaxation in them because stretching allows the muscles to relax. If your muscles are tense, they tend to cut off their own circulation resulting in a lack of oxygen and essential nutrients

It lessens muscle stiffness and soreness

It relieves post-exercise aches and pains as stretching your muscles after a hard workout will keep them loosen and lessen a shortening and tightening effect on the muscles

It improves your posture since stretching your lower back, shoulder and chest muscles will help keep your back in better alignment and thus improve your posture

It reduces or manages your stress as stretched muscles hold less tension in them which make you less tensed

It makes your subsequent muscle toning exercise easier to perform as it allows your muscles to loosen up and prepares your body for the stress of the exercise

It promotes circulation as stretching increases blood supply to your muscles and joints which allows for greater nutrient transportation and improves the circulation of blood through your entire body

It lowers your risk of lower back pain as flexibility in your hamstrings, hip flexors and muscles attached to your pelvis relieves stress on your lumbar spine which in turn reduces your risk of lower back pain