More Efficient Workouts?

Did you know that only a few minutes of stretching can greatly increase the efficiency of your workouts? I know it helped me a lot. I used to blow it off, thinking it wasn’t really necessary, but I found that if I don’t stretch, my muscles lock up a lot sooner and there is too much strain on my joints. I also noticed that the more I stretched, the longer my muscles got, which is what I was looking for anyway. Here are some good stretching tips that I found:

QUICK STRETCH TIPS

Start your workouts with self-myofascial release using a foam roller.  Roll on most of the major muscles in the legs, as well as in the mid to upper back, and your lat muscles.  Roll about 1 inch per second.  When you find a tender spot, hold it for 20 to 30 seconds.  This will help to break up the toxins that have built up and caused a knot, so they can be flushed out.  This will also relax overly tight muscles and increase circulation.

Follow this up by a few minutes of ‘dynamic stretches’.  Dynamic stretches are simply movements that you will be doing in your workout, being done slowly and through the full range of motion to get the muscles and joints warmed up.  Leg swings or leg kicks in all directions, or karate punches are great examples of dynamic stretches.  Try between 15 and 20 of each movement.

Lastly, ‘static’ stretch (hold a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds) the major muscles your work during a workout either at the end of your session, or during some of the exercises to save more time.  For instance, you can be doing shoulder presses to build shoulder and arm strength, while in a lunge position to stretch the hip flexor and glute, at the same time.

The key to understanding stretching is to avoid static stretching before explosive movements or heavy weight training, unless you are specifically targeting an extremely tight muscle.  Regardless, self-myofascial release and dynamic stretching are great forms of pre-workout stretching to help enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/health/diet_fitness/Stretching-Is-The-Truth-About-Workouts.html