Warming up or stretching before fitness training is an absolute must to prevent injuries and enhance the performance during training. There are some things to keep in mind to stay in the best shape you can and these stretching tips can be used as a guideline as you go about your workouts.
When you want to improve your flexibility and avoid injuries you should stretch before and after a workout, including things like HIIT training and treadmill exercises. Most people realize they need to stretch before workouts but not everyone realizes that they should stretch afterwards. By taking advantage of the fact that muscles remain warm after they can improve their flexibility.
If you hold your stretch for more than a minute it can improve flexibility. Sure you can just hold it for 20 seconds to warm up or you can hold it for am minute and increase flexibility in your body. And isn’t the point of exercising to increase the bodies health?
Stay away from stretching then going back to a relaxed position then repeating that numerous times. You might remember hearing it called bouncing while stretching. When you do stretch you need to hold that position for 20 second to a minute and then slowly let go of the stretch and relax. If you do it this way you can repeat it and make the stretches more effective. By bouncing and/or forcing yourself to reach too far during stretching you can injure yourself and this is a huge mistake.
Build up to the most difficult exercise or position in intervals to stay injury free.
Be sure to warm up all the muscle groups that you will be using the best you can. Some people are prone to forgetting some areas of stretching no matter how experienced they are. One area often forgotten is the neck. Stretching the neck is as easy as placing one hand on the front of the head and pushing then repeating this to the other side. It takes seconds and can save damage later on.
Make sure to stretch on a routine basis to increase your flexibility and strength level and to increase the range of motion.
Do not compare yourself to others and what they are doing. If you see people lifting heavier it is because they built up to that slowly and cautiously. If you try to emulate them you can become injured. So listen to your body, know your limits, and if you are having an off-day take it easier but still try to get a good workout in. Just be careful.
You need rest. It’s a fact. You need to rest in between sets and exercises to make sure that your body can recover. Muscles are broken down when you workout and build back up stronger when you rest. Learn to appreciate it and do not try to work out the same muscle group multiple days in a row. That’s how you get injured.
Aerobic exercise like treadmill exercises, treadmill-dumbbell workouts, and high intensity interval training are considered great for your heart and lungs. They are exercises that use oxygen for fuel, just avoid treadmill mistakes and prevent yourself from getting injured.
If you want to up your intensity during training you can throw on some music. Using your iPod or phone as an mp3 player can help boost your performance and get you in better shape. Just please wear headphones, no one wants to hear your music just like you don’t want to hear theirs.
Take advantage of stretching and the benefits outside the training program too. If you are stressed out or your body is tired you can stretch and boost your morale.
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