Monday, January 26, 2009

Avoid Injury with these 5 Muscle Stretching Tips

By Torri Tompson

I'm sure that everyone knows that it is important to properly prepare your body before doing any strenuous exercise. By stretching your muscles, you can help avoid serious injuries that are not only painful, but can also impede your performance meaning it takes much longer for you to lose weight.

Ideally, you will stretch right before you begin to walk on your treadmill and again afterwards. Stretching before your workout will help with your flexibility, and stretching afterward will also help prevent injury.

Here are some excellent ways to ensure that your muscles are not injured while using your treadmill:

1. Don't stretch until it hurts. Some people push their muscles to the point of pain, thinking that it provides a better stretch. Instead, stretch to a position that is comfortable for your body and hold it for about 20 seconds.

2. Always remember to breathe while you are stretching. By practicing some deep breathing exercises while you stretch you will actually be able to give your muscles a much better workout.

3. Many people see the stretching as a warm up, but it's really important that your muscles are actually warmed up before you stretch, so always walk or jog for a few minutes to get blood flowing to your muscles.

4. When you have completed your work out take a nice warm bath or shower. The hot water will help to gently relax your muscles. By stretching after your bath or shower you will help to stop your muscles seizing up, as well as feeling wonderful!

5. You may have seen professional athletes bouncing while they stretch, but you should never ever do this! Bouncing during stretching exercises can actually cause serious injuries to your muscles rather than prevent injuries.

The most important muscles that you need to stretch are not always your leg muscles. Of course, it is important to stretch your calf muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings, but you also need to stretch her shoulders, abs, neck, and back. Believe it or not, walking on a treadmill provides a full body workout.

Don't be scared to mix up your stretching exercises a bit. Instead of just trying to touch your toes, you can also try a number of other different stretches. Try doing the splits or some lunges, or even some calf stretches. Stand on the edge of a step and lower your heel over the edge, but remember to stop just before it gets painful.

When stretching you should always make sure your movements and slow and deliberate - it actually helps to keep some tension in the muscles to get the most out of your stretch. And remember, you should never stretch to the point where it becomes painful. - 16732

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