Skip to content
Stretching – The Right Way!

Stretching – The Right Way!

            Stretching is important to reduce muscle pain and tightness. As the body ages, muscle weakness occurs, causing imbalances such as plantar fasciitis and back strain.

Stretching is also important for improving flexibility. When muscles become more flexible, there is an improvement in posture, decrease in tension, as well as an increase in circulation to these muscles.

It is important to remember to stretch before and after a workout. Before a workout, stretching reduces injury. After a workout, stretching is important because muscles respond better when body temperature is higher. When stretching a muscle, it is important that the tight muscle is the only one that is felt while performing the stretch.

During the stretch, there should be a feeling of tension or pulling. However, never continue the stretch if there is pain or severe discomfort. Remember to take deep breaths while stretching and do not hold your breath. Also, avoid “bouncing”, or ballistic stretching because it can cause micro-tears in the muscle, causing scar tissue to form as the muscle heals.