Benefits of Stretching
Prevent Injury
When you elongate your muscles through stretching, you reduce the risk of ripping and tearing muscle fibers and tissues. This can happen as a result of pushing the body too soon. If you go straight into exercise without having warmed up or moved at all, the areas that are still tense are the most susceptible to injury.
Reduce Fatigue
You’ll feel more able to withstand longer exercise sessions when you stretch before a workout, as you’ll be less likely to experience fatigue in your muscles.
Improve Performance
This one ties in all of the above benefits of stretching before a workout. You’ll have fresh oxygen for your body, reduce risk of injury, and boost your energy while reducing fatigue; this will overall improve your performance of whatever exercise you are doing, whether it’s cardio or strength.
Immediate Muscle Repair
The improved circulation of blood that occurs through stretching allows the muscles to relax and receive this oxygen to repair straight away.
Create More Flexibility
Having a more flexible body not only allows you to get into some interesting yoga shapes, but also reduces muscle tension. After a few weeks of regular post-workout stretching, you’ll already notice a difference in your flexibility.
Reduce Risk of Cramping
When you eliminate lactic acid build up through stretching, you are also relaxing the muscles and letting energy, body fluids and blood to flow through without getting ‘stuck’ anywhere, which often causes cramping.
Dehydration can also be a factor in post-workout cramping, so we suggest sipping on some water while you stretch.
So go ahead and get stretching. Your body will thank you!
Still sore after stretching? Try this neck and shoulder application to help with the pain.