Isn’t it amazing how cats can do all kinds of shit with their bodies right when they wake up (which is always because when are cats not asleep?) Well have you also happened to notice that cats are flexible little hair balls that can easily shrug off moves and falls that would leave your sorry ass as broken as your mom’s favorite vase after making head on contact with a football?
It’s not a coincidence.
Almost every animal on Earth still practices what we Homo sapiens used to do every day back when were ironically had more evolved physiques in our pre-civilization history. They stretch their bodies. Stretching has numerous benefits on the body which can include…
- Increasing your overall flexibility as well as your joints’ range of motion.
- Improving overall muscular performance on account of constantly engaging muscle fibers.
- Improved blood circulation which in turn improved muscle function as increased blood flow clears out toxins/waste byproducts and brings forth new nutrients.
- Improves body posture as it prevents your muscles from getting tight/too flexed which allows you to maintain a proper posture. This is important to keep aches at bay and minimize discomfort as you age.
- Relieves stress as it relaxes any tight or tense muscles which are often brought about by stress factors.
- Enhances overall coordination by maintaining the full active range of motion for your joints and muscles which keeps you in a better balance, make you less prone to injury from falls and keeps you more mobile as you get older.
Fantabulous. We’ve reiterated what a simple Google Search could have done in six neat bullet points. Stretching is good for you, but what does that really mean for you as someone who exercises frequently and more specifically samples with the occasional weight lifting as part of your fitness routine?
Why! Everything you dimwitted little newt!
Working out, and specifically weight lifting, causes your muscles to tense as they are flexed within their maximum capacity which can hinder their range of motion over time unless you stretch regularly. Basically, a stretched muscle is a healthy muscle. But it’s not so simple you see...
Let’s get one thing straight, stretching before your workout is a major No No as this can actually make you more prone to injury as you are stretching and flexing the muscle fibers before they are warmed up and expected to perform at a high intensity. The only stretches you could do before a workout are dynamic ones; meaning they have some form of movement.
The main stretches I am talking about and the ones you should do at the end of every workout - and even on your rest days before bedtime - are static ones; ones that require you to maintain the stretch in a specific posture for a specific length of time without moving.
Static stretching is very important for all the aforementioned reasons but like any form of physical exercise should be practiced with care to execute safely and in perfect form in order to reap out the intended benefits and avoid any potential injury. You need to have an experienced individual or fitness instructor show you how to properly perform all the different stretches (starting out with beginner/basic moves) and working your way up as your progress.
Make sure your stretches of the day correspond to the body part/muscle group which you just inflicted a Hellish punished on. For instance if today is Leg day, make sure to dedicate a good 10 minutes to stretches at the end of your routine, taking care to give every stretch position a good 30 seconds or so of static posture in order to ensure that your beaten and bruised muscles are properly stretched out.
Be safe and let me know if you have any questions or comments by commenting below or tweeting me @Foxicakes
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