Experiencing Extreme Muscle Pain After Exercising? You May Be Skipping This Essential Step

When it comes to exercising, you cannot cut corners. Skipping steps means you are only increasing your work in the long run. So rather than increasing your whole workout goal by a week, you can make sure you do each step thoroughly every day. Being in a hurry can often cause people to skip the steps they believe are unnecessary for example, many weightlifters or trainers believe cardio is unnecessary, but it is important to keep your limbs nimble and muscles flexible. Similarly, many people skip stretching before and after a workout.

Why Is Stretching Important?

Stretching is a pivotal step in any workout. When you stretch, your muscles become more flexible, which makes it easier to bend and move your joints. It also helps your blood flow better, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This can make your muscles feel less tight and stiff, especially after working out. It can also boost your performance in sports and other physical activities as it improves your range of motion. It can also help prevent injuries by making your muscles stronger and more flexible. Good posture is also improved by stretching, and it can even help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, stretching is something you should focus more on especially if you do not engage in regular activity. Even as you get older and move less, stretching is still really important. Your joints get stiffer as time goes on, which makes everyday things like walking, reaching, or turning your head harder, and it can also make you lose your balance and fall. To keep flexible, you need to stretch regularly, not just once in a while, because the benefits don't last long. Stretching a few times a week will help, but doing it every day is best. You can find simple stretches in videos that you can add to your routine, and you can make them easier or harder depending on how you feel.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains that static stretching is good for most individuals. Static stretching involves slowly moving a joint or joints to their maximum range of motion and holding that lengthened position for a set duration. It's a common technique in sports, fitness, and therapeutic practices. Meanwhile, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reviewed multiple studies to find out the best way to stretch. They recommended that healthy adults should stretch at least two or three times a week. As per experts, it is important to stretch all the major muscle groups in your body, like your neck, shoulders, back, hips, legs, and ankles. For each stretch, you should aim for a total of 60 seconds. You can do this by holding the stretch for 15 seconds and then repeating it four times. This helps your muscles get the full benefit of the stretch.

When Should You Stretch?

Harvard Medical School emphasize that making stretching a habit can greatly improve your well-being. It’s easy to fit stretching into your day, even if you’re busy. You can stretch in the morning, after a workout, or before bed. Start with the cat-cow stretch to improve spinal flexibility and relieve back tension. Gently transition to hamstring stretches, like touching your toes or using a towel, to enhance lower back and leg flexibility. Shoulder stretches, such as cross-body arm stretches and overhead reaches, can release tension accumulated from daily activities. Don't forget the quadriceps stretch, by pulling your heel towards your glutes, to maintain leg muscle balance. You can perform stretching exercises for optimum results