Stretch It Out!

Many of us that work out with a personal trainer get there for our appointments just in time for the workout and have to rush off for work right after. But, what you are doing is cheating yourself of a slimmer physique. Ample stretching boosts your flexibility, which in turn makes working out easier. This happens by making you limber enough to reach further on those Woodchoppers, reun faster on those laps around the parking lot, reach your legs further on leg raises, etc. You are going to get closer to your overall fitness goals by being looser and more flexible.

Reach further on each try. Every repetition of a stretch that you do will get easier as you go. You should only feel a mild strain when you stretch, about a 4 on a scale of 1-10, before releasing the stretch. The first go around of touching your toes, you might only make it to your lower shins.

Hold it 10-30 seconds. It takes at least 10 seconds for a stretch to take hold, but past 30 seconds you aren't gaining anything. And never bounce. Bouncing tells your muscles to contract rather than extend, and you can injure yourself that way. Repeat your stretches 2-3 times for the max benefit.

Warm up before you stretch. If you go into it with cold muscles you are apt to strain something, or not do the full amount you can. Walk, jog or do some sort of cardio for 5-10 minutes before stretching out, this will increase your circulation and make your muscles more flexible. The more heat you have built up in your muscles the better off you are. Think about a frozen piece of chicken versus a hot piece of chicken. Your muscles are made of protein too and get more pliable with heat.

Practice your stretches at least 3 times a week. You can do them solo, while you watch TV, in addition to stretching before and after workouts and cardio sessions. You'll start to see the stretching pay off after about a month or two, depending on how much you put into it.

Be eXcellent! Ms. X