The Facts about Pre-Workout Stretching

It’s been a long-time tradition to stretch before exercising. Though a number of people and institutions keep static stretching alive, it turns out that this practice yields results opposite of its intended purpose.

Stretching your muscles while your body is at rest makes your muscles feel overstretched, causing them to react by tightening up rather than loosening up. Static stretching is done to prevent injury and enhance performance during exercise, but it’s studies have shown that stretching before exercise does not decrease chances of injury but decreases muscle strength. Your muscles need to be warmed up in

order to stretch more easily, so attempting to stretch them while they’re at rest puts more strain and can risk pulling or tearing them. This isn’t to say that stretching should be abandoned altogether. It just isn’t the first thing you should do before beginning exercise.

Increasing the body’s temperature helps prepare your muscles for a workout. Warming up actually loosens your muscles and increases your respiratory rate and blood flow, readying your body for more intense physical activity. Spending 5-10 minutes doing a light aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, bicycling, rope jumping or easy swimming is a good way to accomplish this. With the increased blood flow transporting oxygen and nutrients to your warmed up muscles, stretching is now appropriate.

It’s best to stretch your body out after a workout while your muscles are warmer and easier/safer to stretch. Stretching your muscles out after a workout helps relieve soreness and reduces muscle tension.

Though it's counter-productive before warming up, stretching is still an important part of your exercise routine. It’s necessary for increasing flexibility and helps your blood circulate. Plus, it feels

great to stretch out your muscles after a good workout.

Wishing you a healthy and happy workout from all of us at Element Fitness!

Questions? Email us at: info@elementfitness.net

Wanna know more? Read more!:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36553174/ns/health-fitness/

- Why static stretching is counter productive.

http://stronglifts.com/5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-do-static-stretches/

- More reasons why static stretching is counter-productive.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/stretching_benefits.asp

- Benefits of stretching.

http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/warm-up.php

- How to warm up.

http://www.stress-relief-exercises.com/warm-up-exercises.html

- Warming up and stretching after.

How To Achieve a Proper Cardiovascular or Strength Training Workout

Pre-Workout Stretching

A proper strength training or cardiovascular workout begins with a warm up involving non-resistive movements followed by the stretching of the various muscles. The initial goal of the warm up should be to raise the core body temperature so that the muscles are not “cold.” If a cold muscle were to be stretched, there would be greater probability of it sustaining injury. Non-resistive movements raise the core body temperature because they involve moving various muscles without straining them by over extension or the use of weights. This prepares them for stretching. Stretching can be static, which means to hold a position for a minimum of 10 seconds to a maximum of 30, or dynamic, in which the stretched position is coupled with movement such as walking while performing a toe touch. The goal of the stretch should be to move a body part to some extreme until there is mild discomfort. Stretching can also be performed with a partner to achieve a greater range of motion. Stretching allows the body's muscles and ligaments to keep from tearing or pulling.

Strength Training

In strength training, the warm up is followed by a comprehensive exercise period which generally focuses on a part of the body such as the core, the lower body, or the upper body. Strength training is anaerobic exercise which triggers anaerobic metabolism that in turn builds muscle. Anaerobic exercises are resistance-based with the goal of building muscle mass and strength for activities that have short durations and require much power. The goal of a strength training workout is to achieve a balance between intensity, the amount of resistance, and volume, or sets and repetitions to maximize the effect of the workout. For instance, if the goal is to build muscle mass, then one should do fewer reps with more resistance or, if the goal is to tone the muscles, then one should do more reps with less resistance.

Cardiovascular Training

Cardiovascular training is aerobic exercise, meaning it focuses on improving the ability of the body to consume oxygen. Cardiovascular training involves exercises such as swimming, running, cross country skiing, and cycling over long periods of time at a relatively moderate intensity. This kind of training is generally used by athletes who must maintain intensity for extended periods of time. An effective work out should last at least twenty minutes.

Post-Workout Cool Down

Following both cardiovascular and strength training, there should be a cool down period which gradually takes the body from a state of high intensity to a state of rest. In cardiovascular training, a cool down may involve going from a fast jog to a walk. In strength training, a cool down may involve moving from heavy resistance to non-resistance movement. This period should only last from 5 to 10 minutes.