Forget to Stretch?

Stretching is an important part of your resistance routine. Here are some of my thoughts and advice on how to make it part of your routine.

Give your body a chance to warm-up, stretching cold muscles can cause injury. This can be as little as five minutes of low-intensity walking. Just get the blood flowing. Post workout stretching will help with muscle soreness, but remember that soreness isnt always a bad thing. It is a sign that did something you are not used to and the body will make changes because of it.

While stretching, exhale deeply and gently stretch the muscle for around 30 seconds. Counting will keep you from cheating. NO BOUNCING. Bouncing during a stretch can increase the risk of a pulled muscle or injury.

Try stretching immediately after a shower or even in a hot bath or hot tub. The warm water will increase body temperature to make it stretch easier.

Try stretching in the morning. Simple full body stretches can invigorate, wake you and make a great start to your day.

Try a stretching class such as yoga or tai chi. This will help you stretch on a regular basis.