What You Need to Know About Stretching Routines

An exercise training program is never complete without flexibility training. The American Council on Exercise emphasizes that stretching should be made a part of a workout regimen inasmuch as it is an important fitness component. Together with cardiovascular exercise, strength training, core exercises and balance exercises, stretching fulfills a specific function integral to overall body health. Stretching lengthens the muscles and increases your body's range of motion even as it encourages muscular growth. Doing stretches also contributes to the efficacy of weight-training exercises by lengthening the fascia or the sturdy connective tissue that holds the muscles. When the fascia is stretched, the muscles are also given more room to grow.

In general, the function of a stretch is to reduce the tension in the muscles so that it grows after it is exerted. Regular flexibility training exercises also make your muscles more efficient, enabling your body to do more sets and reps without tiring easily. Muscles that are stretched more also experience better blood circulation and as a consequence, lactic acid proliferation is decreased. When more nutrients are brought to the muscles via the blood and lactic acid is reduced, post workout soreness and fatigue is also lessened, making you do more workouts and experience its benefits in weight loss and muscle toning in far less time. To make your stretches more effective, try holding them for at least ten seconds more after you have reached the maximum point of stretch. Usually, it will take about thirty seconds to one minute to reach this maximum point. Workouts should be preceded and ended by flexibility exercises.

There are different types of stretches that individuals practice when they do their flexibility workouts. Some are good while one in particular should not be used because it makes the body more prone to injury. Dynamic, active, passive and static stretching are the kinds of flexibility exercises that relax the muscles. They are meant to prevent fatigue since they only utilize smooth stretching motions. For stretching routines that employ contractions to promote muscle growth, isometric and PNF or proprio-neuromuscular facilitated stretching routines are used. In an isometric stretch, resistance is applied to the body when you flex your muscles opposite the said resistance without moving the muscle. An example is when you raise your arms above your head and assume a squatting position with your chest pointed outwards. This chair pose is done for five breath counts. PNF stretches are also similar to isometric exercises except you apply the resistance repeatedly, relaxing only for a while but increasing the depth of resistance again. For example, you can lie on your back with a partner putting his shoulder underneath your knees. He pushes your leg towards your chest while you push your hamstring against the resistance provided. You then relax before going at it again for a much deeper stretch. Bouncing in and out of a stretch, meanwhile, is known as ballistic stretching and this is the type that should never be practiced because it leads to strain and injury.

Stretching routines are important for overall health. Not only do they warm up muscles before every workout, they also facilitate muscle growth when done correctly.

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