Why is Stretching Important?

Sooooo, I have a lot of people asking me about stretching before and after exercising. Many people do not know/ understand the importance of stretching, and how it can affect your workout performance.

If you do not stretch before you start your exercise routine, you are less likely to have a successful workout, and are more prone to getting an injury. It is SUPER IMPORTANT to stretch out those muscles so that you can have a great exercise!

Here are some stretches I like to do before I start my workouts....

If I am running on the treadmill or outside, I like to stand up and stretch beforehand. I usually take one leg, reaching behind with the opposite hand, and pull back, stretching my hamstrings. I also like to stretch in the front, so I will usually take my leg with the opposite hand and stretch it up, pulling it towards my belly... this usually stretches your quads and hamstrings.

With arm stretches, I like to take one arm and cross it in front of my chest, using my other arm, I lock the crease on the inside of my arm, into the opposite elbow, wrap it around my forearm and give it a little squeeze, so that way it stretches my entire arm. Doing arm circles are also a good way to warm up those arms.

After exercise stretches, I like to do sitting down on the floor, because you are cooling down, and it is much more relaxing. Stretching calms your mind and relaxes your body before and after working out. Even on your off days from the gym, you should be taking time to stretch out those muscles and make sure that nothing tightens up!!

There are sooo many different stretches for your arms and legs that you can do, I will be posting videos since they are much easier to explain, than writing it all =)