5 Reasons To Stretch!
1.) Prevents Injury
Dynamic stretching before warm up can help prevent injury. It properly establishes range of motion and gets the muscles nice and warm before exercise. Cold muscles means greater likelihood of strain or rupture! Take from us, we know!
2.) Improved Posture
Our society is so technology based nowadays, posture has made a huge impact. As we hunch and sit throughout the day our muscles become chronically tense and puts our spine in an alignment that doesn’t benefit us in any way. Stretching can help counteract this, it will improve function of the body as well as more flexibility and mobility.
3.) Encourages Faster Recovery
May help prevent soreness by releasing lactic acid from your muscles. Ever get that feeling when your bending over the next day and it feels as if someone took a bat to your abdomen? That’s the feeling I’m talking about! That is all your lactic acid build up in your muscles. If you never stretch I encourage you to try 5 minutes after every workout for one week and notice the difference!
4.) Relaxes You
Yes, I said it. RELAXES. When your muscles contract & lengthen the body is automatically programmed to release a little tension. Who doesn’t need that in their life? Add your breath when your stretching to receive the full effect.
5.) Improves Performance
Are you stuck in the gym? Do you feel as if though you can’t move up in weight or that your endurance is just not there? TRY STRETCHING. Increase your mobility and stability so you have more strength within your range of motion of your joints. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well how about a squat? If you squat you feel as if you can only sit back about 2 inches, increased mobility will allow you to get deeper which contracts more muscles and uses the whole body and in turn you burn more calories. Understand now? Great!
Stretching is a super important and under utilized tool. Make time for it. Cut out that extra set. Otherwise one should prepare for injury eventually in their life which is not fun! Ask us here at Kore and we can help with any questions!