It really is something so simple. It takes next to no time. Most of the time it feels great or hurts so good.
S T R E T C H I N G
Why don't we do it more? Why does it seem to be so hard to tack on an extra five or ten minutes to our work out to stretch our muscles and help spare us from at least some of the pain that is inevitable?
How can someone who makes exercise a priority in her daily schedule not manage to find a measly ten more minutes to stretch it out?!
Honestly, I don't have a good answer other than being lazy.
I thought about this as I laid in bed this morning lamenting my sore heel. (Not to forget about my sore shoulder blades, lower back, and hamstrings, but my heel was really stealing the show!) It looked like today was going to be another Saturday where stretching and maybe some ab work would be my only viable options for exercise.
So I decided to look it up and prove to myself once and for all why stretching is really important.
I thought about this as I laid in bed this morning lamenting my sore heel. (Not to forget about my sore shoulder blades, lower back, and hamstrings, but my heel was really stealing the show!) It looked like today was going to be another Saturday where stretching and maybe some ab work would be my only viable options for exercise.
So I decided to look it up and prove to myself once and for all why stretching is really important.
Well it turned out there are not any surprises or shocking secrets as to why stretching is good for you.
Stretching helps to prevent muscular aches and pains. It reduces soreness. It decreases your chances of injury.
If it is so straightforward and we already know the benefits, why don't we do it?
Other than feeling like I can't spare another ten minutes to stretch after my run, I think another reason why I don't stretch is because I am ineffective at it. I know the ten stretches that everyone knows from their days of rec league soccer and a move or two I picked up in yoga and Pilates. Other than that if a particular muscle is feeling tight, I do not always know how to treat it properly.
Runner's World has some great resources for stretching. They even have a tool where you can select what area of your body hurts, and it will suggest articles and videos to help you out.
Some helpful things to remember about stretching are:
- Stretch after you have warmed up for 5-10 minutes so your muscles are limber.
- Do not stretch until it hurts, stretching is supposed to be gentle.
- End each work out with some easy stretching.
- DO IT!!
So for the rest of the day it will be me, my tennis ball, and my "foam roller" also known as the rolling pin working out my kinks!
Ouch!!
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