Stretching Exercises

In this article we will see the different types of stretching exercises that we can do before and after our training.

Exercising is something very important for our body and our mind. When we are small, exercise is something we do almost without realizing it, running, playing ball, exercising at school, playing in general are activities that keep us in shape in an unconscious way.

But as we get older, we lose that ability to be in shape almost daily and therefore we must look for those moments to dedicate to our body.

This article where we explain how to stretch you will surely also find it interesting.

Studies say that at least 3 times a week and for at least 30 minutes we should do some kind of physical activity. In this way we would avoid an evil that is invading us in today’s society, sedentary lifestyle. We do a multitude of activities but very few of them are linked to the movement of our body, we go to work by car, we climb floors in the elevator, we sit in front of a computer … They are activities that monopolize much of our time on a day-to-day basis.

Therefore, it is convenient to do some kind of physical activity that counteracts the passivity in which we are immersed (you can read this article about the benefits of sport). Exercising is very beneficial for different reasons:

• We eliminate stress and anxiety since with exercise we reduce tensions.
• By feeling better, calmer and seeing how our physique is changing, we improve self-esteem. Exercise releases hormones and toxins that make us feel better about ourselves.
• We accelerate metabolism. With exercise we manage to burn calories and improve our muscle mass. In this way, by accelerating our metabolism, it helps us lose weight. We leave you here an article about tips to speed up your metabolism.
• It improves our quality of life as it helps us maintain good health, keep our heart strong and prevent osteoporosis.
• With physical exercise also improves our sex life. We are full of energy, with more strength and greater flexibility.
• By maintaining a good rhythm of exercise, we also reduce the possibility of suffering from diabetes. Because when we exercise, we not only burn fat but also sugar.
• Over the years, our muscles and heart weaken. By exercising we get to strengthen them and thus delay the aging process.
• The risk of getting cancer is decreased. Above all, women who do not exercise increase the chances of generating some type of tumor of the reproductive system and breast cancer.
• Scientific studies show that we increase our mental capacity in terms of memory, concentration and our reactions become more active.
• We also increase our sense of humor. It is proven that a remedy to feel better, if we suffer from some type of stress or depression, is to exercise continuously.

Therefore, we see that exercising is an incredible source of benefits. But when it comes to doing some physical activity, it is not enough to do it in any way, but we must take care of how we practice the sport to avoid suffering some type of injury.

Instructions

Therefore, we will see some necessary instructions so that our body is fully prepared for the tension that it will suffer because of exercise.

And one of these routines that prepare our body are stretching exercises.

With stretching exercises, we lengthen the muscles and tendons. This is done by subjecting the external part of the muscle to tension in the opposite direction to its contraction.

Let’s see a series of stretching routines for those people who, due to their work, have a high level of sedentary lifestyle. In this way we will improve our flexibility.

1. The first thing to keep in mind is that we should not start any stretching routine without having done warm-up exercises before for about 5 or 10 minutes. This is carried out with the same exercises that we are going to perform but with a minimum level of effort, with very low intensity. In this way we prevent some kind of muscle pull.
2. Lateral flexions of the neck. With this exercise we relax the head and neck area. The way to do it is by adopting an upright position, we try to bring the head to one shoulder and then to the other. We perform this stretch without shrinking the shoulders, keeping them at the same height.

Now we focus on the calves. We perform this exercise leaning on a wall with our hands and forearms at a 90-degree angle. To perform this exercise, we must look for a tilt position, one of the legs must be in forward flexion and the other the opposite. The feet should remain on the ground. The body has to form a right angle. The front leg is bent at the knee, while the leg behind is stretched. The time for this position is half a minute. In this exercise we must alternate the legs.

Adductor stretching routine. We stand with our knees on the floor and the tips of our feet to the sides. Placed on the floor, we keep the forearms under the shoulders at a right angle. Once in this position, we expel the air slowly with the back straight. At the same time, we spread our knees apart and begin to lower our chest to the floor. The arms will be extended to the front.

Stretching exercise with the back of the knee. We sat on the floor with our legs straight and stretched out to the front. We pass a tape through the soles of the feet, through the center, and hold it at the ends. Now gently pull the tape towards our body until we notice a stretch in the back of the knees. We hold the position for about 20 or 30 seconds and release slowly. We can do them with both legs or alternating with each of them.

Routine stretching of the lower part of the trunk. We lie down, face up, and bend the knees bringing them to the chest. We hold the thighs with our hands and bring the heels towards the buttocks while raising and separating the hips from the ground. We hold the stretch for about 30 to 40 seconds.

Stretches of the upper back. Here you will find more information on how to do back stretches. We perform this exercise looking for a point of support between the shoulders and the hip. We stand in front of this point of support, about a meter away, and extend our arms parallel until we hold on to the point of support. We lower the trunk without arching the back and with the legs stretched. We exhale air slowly and try to lower the shoulders so that we stretch the back slowly.

What You Need

We have seen in the previous point different stretching routines to improve flexibility. There are numerous exercises depending on our activity, age, training and physical condition. But we must always keep in mind that stretching exercises are very necessary before and after performing our physical activity. Therefore, we must vary the routines depending on the activity we are going to do.

The following points are based on what we need to know when stretching:

If we are training:

• We must know that stretching helps us to have greater elasticity while reducing the risk of injury.
• During an exercise it must be taken into account that the tendons, ligaments and joints participate together with the muscles when performing some type of physical activity. Therefore, if our tendons, muscles and ligaments are strong and elastic we will increase strength and feel more agile.

If we are training in an intense way:

• After a very intense workout, the muscles tighten and shrink. Physical exercise on a regular basis causes our muscles to stiffen but at the same time also make them shrink, limiting our movement. Therefore, exercise without stretching can cause a lot of pressure on the nerves and can slow down the nerve impulse and sometimes even block it.

Therefore, we must bear in mind that:

• Regular training without stretching routines can make us feel a feeling of permanent tension in the body. Also, a feeling of fatigue and muscle pain or even arthritis.
• We must therefore stretch if we want to reduce tension. Sometimes this tension occurs as a result of stress and makes us feel tired and irritated.
• Therefore, stretching can relieve this tension, relax our muscles and reduce that level of stress. In this way we also get to reduce muscle, back and neck pain.

Councils

As a summary of all the above, we must know that:

• Stretching exercises slow down our aging process.
• If we do not perform muscle stretching, we cause wear of the joints.
• With them we increase the flow of blood to the muscles.
• We increase our ability to move and improve our joints since, by placing certain parts of the body in specific positions, we increase the length of the muscles.
• We relax the muscles and this leads to an improvement in our mental and emotional health.
• With stretching exercises, we help our muscles relax faster after exercise.
• We decrease the amount of lactic acid in the muscles.
• We improve the posture of our body.
• We favor the increase of the flexibility of the ligaments and tendons.
• We reduce the risk of injury or muscle contracture when exercising. We leave you an article on how to treat a muscle contracture.
• We will improve the knowledge of our own body.
• Most stretching exercises are usually static.
• We should try to include all muscle groups in any routine stretching program.
• It is advisable to do at least two different stretches for each joint movement.
• It is advisable to perform these stretching exercises about four or five days a week, since a session of them does not usually last more than five minutes. In addition, stretching is independent of whether we do some type of physical exercise or not.
• We must take into account when performing them everything will depend on the factors of age, our physical condition and the type of sport or exercises we do.
• Therefore, although they are highly beneficial, we must perform them in the best possible way, with a correct execution and posture when doing them and if we see that it causes us pain or we have a lot of difficulty when carrying them out, we must change the type of stretching until our body is able to perform it correctly.
• Keep in mind that, if we suffer from osteoporosis, any injury, sprain or inflammation of the member we want to exercise, we must first consult if they can be beneficial for us when performing them.
• There are stretching exercises for all parts of our body. At all times we should choose those that improve the relaxation of that particular part of our body that has received more tension.