As we discussed on Tuesday, flexibility and stretching are an important part of your fitness routine - or at least, they should be!
Stretching after a workout can help prevent soreness, cool down your muscles, and finish off your workout on the right foot.
This stretch routine can also be done anytime you are feeling tight and need to improve your flexibility. If you're feeling extra tired and can't handle a strenuous workout, why not do this one instead? It will help to relax you, relieve stress, and improve flexibility and posture.
These are active stretches, so you will be moving fluidly from one movement into another at a slow pace to help your muscles relax and lengthen. You will do 8 repetitions of 9 different flexibility exercises.
No equipment is required, though you may want a yoga mat for some of the exercises.
Showing posts with label Dynamic stretching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dynamic stretching. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
4 Exercises to Increase Your Flexibility
Many people practice both cardio and strength training routines as part of their fitness plan, but fail to include exercises that would increase their flexibility. Not only does being more flexible benefit you in the gym by lessening your risk of an injury and increasing joint range of motion, it also helps you in your daily life, such as allowing you to easily bend over and tie your shoes.
Stretching is one of the best ways to get back or increase flexibility. There are two types of stretching – static and dynamic. Your fitness routine will generally dictate when each type is performed. Generally speaking, static exercises are done after a workout as a cool down, where dynamic exercises are done after a warm-up but before a workout to get you loosened up. With either type of stretching, you don’t want to stretch cold muscles, as this can lead to an injury.
Static Stretches
In this type of stretching, a muscle is slowly stretched and then held in the stretched position for several seconds before relaxing. If done properly, there is a low risk of injury, making it one of the safest forms of stretching.
A popular upper body muscle group to stretch is the shoulder. To perform the shoulder stretch seated or standing:
Dynamic stretching is stretching while in motion. The muscles that will be used in the upcoming workout are stretched, but are not held in the stretched position as they would be with static stretching.
One great stretching exercise for the lower body is forward lunges. To start:
To increase the flexibility in your back, do some side bends:
Check back Thursday for a great stretching routine to try!
Stretching is one of the best ways to get back or increase flexibility. There are two types of stretching – static and dynamic. Your fitness routine will generally dictate when each type is performed. Generally speaking, static exercises are done after a workout as a cool down, where dynamic exercises are done after a warm-up but before a workout to get you loosened up. With either type of stretching, you don’t want to stretch cold muscles, as this can lead to an injury.
Static Stretches
In this type of stretching, a muscle is slowly stretched and then held in the stretched position for several seconds before relaxing. If done properly, there is a low risk of injury, making it one of the safest forms of stretching.
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| (Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.) |
- Hold your right arm parallel with the ground and across the front of your chest.
- With your left arm grab your right arm just above the elbow and pull the stretched arm.
- Pull gently until you just start to feel the stretch.
- Hold for 30 seconds and then release.
- Repeat with the other arm.
- With the soles of your feet together, grasp your ankles and pull both of your feet towards your body; allow your knees to come up and out to the side.
- While still grasping your ankles, gently push your knees down towards the floor.
- You will feel the stretch along the inside of your thighs and groin.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
Dynamic stretching is stretching while in motion. The muscles that will be used in the upcoming workout are stretched, but are not held in the stretched position as they would be with static stretching.
One great stretching exercise for the lower body is forward lunges. To start:
- Keep your upper body straight, shoulders back and look straight forward.
- Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Ensure your front knee is centered over your ankle; your other knee should not touch the floor.
- Push back with your front leg to the starting position.
- Do 5 to 10 repetitions and then switch legs.
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| (Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.) |
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight in the air.
- Without moving your lower body, slowly alternate bending laterally to your left, back up and to the right as far as possible.
- Do 5 to 20 repetitions in each direction.
Check back Thursday for a great stretching routine to try!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
4 Benefits of Flexibility Exercises
If you were to walk into a gym today and observe the daily routines of its patrons, you would likely notice a common theme: people's desire to get their workouts done, and to carry on with their busy lives.
As a result, many people have done away with making flexibility exercises a part of their workouts. However, several benefits can be achieved by putting a focus back on flexibility exercises.
1. Decreased chance of injury through reduced joint stress
* The old adage is true – "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." If you are about to put your body, and especially your joints, through a rigorous workout, it makes sense to take those joints through their full ranges of motion first.
* A joint that is flexible will not only have a great range of motion, but it is also less likely to get injured than a cold or tight joint. Having said this, most experts agree that stretching a joint should only be performed once the body and muscles have been warmed up. As a result, it is now advisable to do a few minutes of light cardio activity to get the blood flowing before beginning a stretching program. (If your workout or flexibility program consists of some type of yoga, just ease into it by not stretching as far at the beginning - see #2 below.)
2. Increased range of motion
* It has been shown that for some weight lifting exercises, the fuller the range of motion is, the more beneficial the exercise can be to muscle building. It would then be in your best interest to achieve that goal.
* Increasing your range of motion is most easily performed by doing a dynamic stretch of the body part that you plan to target in your workout routine. Dynamic stretching, as opposed to static stretching, involves putting a targeted body part's muscles and joints through a series of progressively wider ranges of motion until they are fully stretched - a yoga routine is a good example of this.
3. Increased balance
* Imagine if you dropped something on the floor, and you were about to pick it up. But just before you do this, you are told you cannot bend your knees or bend at the hips. Picking up that object now seems next to impossible without falling flat on your face!
* This is an extreme example, which illustrates a simple concept. Flexible joints allow a body to keep its balance. A body is most balanced when the head, shoulders, and hips are in perfect alignment, and flexible joints allow for this alignment to happen whether you are working out or just going about your daily activities.
4. Improved posture and muscle relaxation
* Muscle tightness, due to lack of flexibility in one area of the body, can cause problems in other areas. As an example, tight hamstrings often lead to increased tension and fatigue in the muscles of the lower back. As a result, low back pain then leads to poor posture as your body tries to protect itself from the pain it is enduring - remember - everything in the body is connected and affects the other parts! The best way to prevent some forms of low back pain is to ensure that leg and torso muscles are subjected to a variety of flexibility exercises. This is why relief for chronic pain can often be found through specific exercises.
To conclude, whether the stretches you incorporate into your daily routine are static or dynamic, are performed at home or at the gym, are probably not the most important factors. The most important factor is that you do make flexibility exercises a part of your workout so that you can get the most out of your training - and achieve a healthier, stronger, and pain-free body.
As a result, many people have done away with making flexibility exercises a part of their workouts. However, several benefits can be achieved by putting a focus back on flexibility exercises.
1. Decreased chance of injury through reduced joint stress
 |
| Stretching (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
* A joint that is flexible will not only have a great range of motion, but it is also less likely to get injured than a cold or tight joint. Having said this, most experts agree that stretching a joint should only be performed once the body and muscles have been warmed up. As a result, it is now advisable to do a few minutes of light cardio activity to get the blood flowing before beginning a stretching program. (If your workout or flexibility program consists of some type of yoga, just ease into it by not stretching as far at the beginning - see #2 below.)
2. Increased range of motion
* It has been shown that for some weight lifting exercises, the fuller the range of motion is, the more beneficial the exercise can be to muscle building. It would then be in your best interest to achieve that goal.
* Increasing your range of motion is most easily performed by doing a dynamic stretch of the body part that you plan to target in your workout routine. Dynamic stretching, as opposed to static stretching, involves putting a targeted body part's muscles and joints through a series of progressively wider ranges of motion until they are fully stretched - a yoga routine is a good example of this.
 |
| A gymnast stretching exercise. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
* Imagine if you dropped something on the floor, and you were about to pick it up. But just before you do this, you are told you cannot bend your knees or bend at the hips. Picking up that object now seems next to impossible without falling flat on your face!
* This is an extreme example, which illustrates a simple concept. Flexible joints allow a body to keep its balance. A body is most balanced when the head, shoulders, and hips are in perfect alignment, and flexible joints allow for this alignment to happen whether you are working out or just going about your daily activities.
4. Improved posture and muscle relaxation
* Muscle tightness, due to lack of flexibility in one area of the body, can cause problems in other areas. As an example, tight hamstrings often lead to increased tension and fatigue in the muscles of the lower back. As a result, low back pain then leads to poor posture as your body tries to protect itself from the pain it is enduring - remember - everything in the body is connected and affects the other parts! The best way to prevent some forms of low back pain is to ensure that leg and torso muscles are subjected to a variety of flexibility exercises. This is why relief for chronic pain can often be found through specific exercises.
To conclude, whether the stretches you incorporate into your daily routine are static or dynamic, are performed at home or at the gym, are probably not the most important factors. The most important factor is that you do make flexibility exercises a part of your workout so that you can get the most out of your training - and achieve a healthier, stronger, and pain-free body.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Importance of Warming Up Before Exercise
Since obviously we talk a lot about exercise here, we also need to emphasize the importance of warming up before any strenuous activity.
Image via WikipediaSo, why warm up? Several changes takes place in the body once physical activity is initiated. A person's respiratory rate, blood flow, and oxygen and nutrient levels delivered to the cells increases. The rate of increase should be regulated in a steady pace to prepare the body for the physical stress that exercise will demand. If one foregoes this priming procedure, the body will function less efficiently and the workout will produce less quality results. Warming up preps up the nervous system, heightens mental awareness and alertness, and loosens up joints and muscles to make them less prone to injuries. Warm ups jump starts the fluid located in the joints, minimizing the risk for wear and tear of the muscles. It gives the heart a suitable period to adjust and pump extra blood and nutrients into the muscles.
This is especially vital for older people, since their tissues tend to be less supple, and they have joints with less fluid, and often weaker hearts. Sudden exercise without proper warm-up can even trigger heart attacks in older people.
How does a person warm up properly? Initially, it can be done through any activity that forces the heart to beat a little faster. One can simply walk and jog, or if cardiovascular equipment is available, such as rowing machine or a bicycle, it can be utilized. Start at a gentle pace, and then slowly increase the pace until heart beat rate increases and the body temperature rises. It important to note that the pace should be in accordance to one's current fitness level, where the activity will leave the person energized and not exhausted.
After working up a light sweat (suggested time is 3-5 minutes, longer if the person is working out in a cold environment) one should do dynamic stretching. Stretching helps in developing overall flexibility, particularly in the spine, shoulder, and hip areas. The kind of stretching depends on the type of activity a person plans to engage to. For instance, if one is about to play sports, recommended stretches would be ones that mimic the movements that will be done in the court or field. If one is about to do martial arts, light sparring can be done at one quarter of the normal speed, or just simply do the movements in slow motion. Be certain that the major muscles groups are stretched for 8 seconds each, minimum. It is necessary to remember to keep the feet moving or do leg exercises whenever the upper body is stretched to keep prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Remember, one should only do stretching if the muscles are already warmed up. Do not bounce while stretching. It leads to a contraction that can result in muscle tear or pull.
Image via WikipediaFor weight-lifters, this is what should be done after the initial warm up. Load the bar with about 50-60% of the heaviest weight to be done for the session and perform the number of repetitions that will be done for the heavy sets. For the second set, the weight will be increased to 80%, then eventually to 90%, decreasing to 2-3 repetitions. Afterwards, rest for about 30 seconds, then repeat the steps. After this warm up, one can now proceed to the heavy lifting for the day. The advantage of doing this procedure first is that the heavy sets will feel less daunting and can now be performed with considerably less stress.
After warming up and proceeding through the main workout, it is equally important to cool down. When a person suddenly stops exercising or lifting weights, blood gathers in the muscle and oxygen is blocked. When this happens, a person runs the risk of having a heart attack. So cooling down should have the same importance as warming up.
Exercise is good for the health. Everyone is encouraged to have fun and pump it up, just remember to remember all the necessary precautions not only to maximize the workout, but also to stay safe and healthy.
Image via WikipediaSo, why warm up? Several changes takes place in the body once physical activity is initiated. A person's respiratory rate, blood flow, and oxygen and nutrient levels delivered to the cells increases. The rate of increase should be regulated in a steady pace to prepare the body for the physical stress that exercise will demand. If one foregoes this priming procedure, the body will function less efficiently and the workout will produce less quality results. Warming up preps up the nervous system, heightens mental awareness and alertness, and loosens up joints and muscles to make them less prone to injuries. Warm ups jump starts the fluid located in the joints, minimizing the risk for wear and tear of the muscles. It gives the heart a suitable period to adjust and pump extra blood and nutrients into the muscles. This is especially vital for older people, since their tissues tend to be less supple, and they have joints with less fluid, and often weaker hearts. Sudden exercise without proper warm-up can even trigger heart attacks in older people.
How does a person warm up properly? Initially, it can be done through any activity that forces the heart to beat a little faster. One can simply walk and jog, or if cardiovascular equipment is available, such as rowing machine or a bicycle, it can be utilized. Start at a gentle pace, and then slowly increase the pace until heart beat rate increases and the body temperature rises. It important to note that the pace should be in accordance to one's current fitness level, where the activity will leave the person energized and not exhausted.
After working up a light sweat (suggested time is 3-5 minutes, longer if the person is working out in a cold environment) one should do dynamic stretching. Stretching helps in developing overall flexibility, particularly in the spine, shoulder, and hip areas. The kind of stretching depends on the type of activity a person plans to engage to. For instance, if one is about to play sports, recommended stretches would be ones that mimic the movements that will be done in the court or field. If one is about to do martial arts, light sparring can be done at one quarter of the normal speed, or just simply do the movements in slow motion. Be certain that the major muscles groups are stretched for 8 seconds each, minimum. It is necessary to remember to keep the feet moving or do leg exercises whenever the upper body is stretched to keep prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Remember, one should only do stretching if the muscles are already warmed up. Do not bounce while stretching. It leads to a contraction that can result in muscle tear or pull.
Image via WikipediaFor weight-lifters, this is what should be done after the initial warm up. Load the bar with about 50-60% of the heaviest weight to be done for the session and perform the number of repetitions that will be done for the heavy sets. For the second set, the weight will be increased to 80%, then eventually to 90%, decreasing to 2-3 repetitions. Afterwards, rest for about 30 seconds, then repeat the steps. After this warm up, one can now proceed to the heavy lifting for the day. The advantage of doing this procedure first is that the heavy sets will feel less daunting and can now be performed with considerably less stress. After warming up and proceeding through the main workout, it is equally important to cool down. When a person suddenly stops exercising or lifting weights, blood gathers in the muscle and oxygen is blocked. When this happens, a person runs the risk of having a heart attack. So cooling down should have the same importance as warming up.
Exercise is good for the health. Everyone is encouraged to have fun and pump it up, just remember to remember all the necessary precautions not only to maximize the workout, but also to stay safe and healthy.
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