Stretching is an activity performed in order to maintain flexibility of the body. It involves elongating muscles and tissues by applying gentle pressure to them. Stretching is necessary to maintain proper movement of the joints which in turn improves the ability to perform everyday activities. It is a form of exercise that both improves and maintains flexibility, stability and strength. Flexibility can be improved by stretching through several simple exercises that also help to improve muscle tone and posture. Hence, it is one of the most important factors to consider while doing cardio exercise. Stretching increases the flexibility of your body. Therefore, in order to increase stamina and gain endurance during workout sessions, stretch before beginning a workout.
Joint Mobility
As such, stretching is a must for people looking to have a flexible body that is free from injuries. It improves the range of motion which helps in improving the mobility of the joints in the body. It also helps in improving the performance of any strenuous exercise or activities. Our joints work together to create movement. Therefore stretching is one of the best ways to improve and maintain joint mobility. And although stretching is heavily linked to flexibility, it has a much bigger role in physical movement. This is because there’s more to it than flexibility. Stretching is actually a process that helps lubricate the joints. Consequently, moving your body can achieve this.
Essential for Daily Activities
The truth is that by doing an activity like yoga, you can increase your flexibility by 20 percent. While cardio exercises can help in losing weight, they will not reduce the tightness in the muscles and joints. Instead, stretching should be the main approach when increasing your body’s flexibility. By doing this it improves the blood flow to the joints and muscles, thus lubricating them. It is true that stretching cannot be neglected because of its great benefits. Not only does it help you to improve your flexibility, but it also improves your mobility. Flexibility is important not just for sports, but it is a great advantage for daily activities.
Cardiovascular System
As a matter of fact, the power of stretching can prevent certain kinds of cardiovascular problems. As some cardiologists and medical practitioners have advocated. This includes; heart diseases, hypertension, telangiectasia, varicose veins and vein inflammation. Research has shown that regularly stretching improves a person’s cardiovascular system. This in turn will help the heart and the entire circulatory system function more effectively. As a result this helps more blood and oxygen to flow through all parts of the body. In fact, once we reach adolescence we become free from the rigors of childhood. Consequently, our cardiovascular systems begin to lose its flexibility and agility. Especially our schooldays, where we spent most of our waking hours inside classrooms and studying at our desks.
Misconception
Many are under the impression that cardiovascular exercises, such as running, jogging or bicycling, rather than stretching, are more beneficial to increasing flexibility. Contrary to stretching exercises. If your heart rate increases, then it must be one of the best methods to increase your range of motion. So is the misconception. Sadly this is not true at all. It turns out that carrying out a 20 minute cardio session will only produce the same effects on our muscles. Similar to 45 minutes worth of light stretching. What’s more, it also takes 15 minutes for our heart rates to calm down after finishing high intensity exercise. Longer if we’re unfit.
Intensity
This means once again how repetitively athletes train becomes insignificant in relation to its effectiveness. In essence, when compared with doing some exercises like yoga or Pilates. These two forms of exercise do not require intense levels of physical exertion over extended periods. There’s a popular notion that it takes hundreds of hours of training in order to become a sports professional. And that the more physically exhausting the training, the more effective the results. In fact, you can become a professional footballer in about 10 000 hours of training. That’s about two years of full-time training for an average athlete.
Stretching and Cardio
The quest to stay fit and healthy is driven by public’s perception of the values of different forms of exercises. To some extent. Cardio exercises are a modern, alternative form of fitness. While stretching is simply an ancient practice passing down from generation to generation. Most people need to understand that stretching has a higher potential than building flexibility in your muscles. On the other hand, cardio exercises have a lower potential to build strength and muscle definition and tone. The quest for physical fitness works well with both stretching and cardio exercises. In some exercises, doing yoga or intense aerobics is more beneficial. However, in most cases one can achieve a good level of fitness by doing stretching exercises only.
The Effects of Stretching
Thus, stretching increases flexibility. However, you need to put it in the context of time. The best time to stretch is after a good warm-up routine or exercise program. Stretching increases the blood flow to the muscles which helps to improve flexibility. After an exercise session, it is important to stretch, great for muscle recovery and to help prevent injury. There are many other issues that follows time constraint. These includes, injuries and specific goals that one has for his or her body. It is important to understand what the various stretching methods can do for your body. Not forgetting how they can help you achieve a better overall condition.
Summary
When beginning a workout routine, stretching is an often overlooked part of the health and fitness regimen. This is simply because stretching doesn’t seem like a necessary accessory for a workout. The reason for this is because of the common misconception. That stretching is only important for increasing flexibility and not for building strength. Stretching will increase flexibility and prevent injury. However, it can also increase the strength of muscles by allowing them to contract better. When you stretch, it increases the tissue’s extensibility in addition to the ability to contract more forcefully and increase elasticity.
Notably, stretching is a great way to help people relax and unwind after a long day at work. While stretching is commonly associated with cardio exercises; it is actually more effective in increasing flexibility than sprinting, jogging or running. In fact, stretching one’s muscles may even help to minimize the discomfort that comes with doing these exercises. Which may stem from muscle tightness. Stretching and warming up are vital in preparing the body for other types of physical activities. And may serve to prevent injuries, much like warm-up exercises do. For example, a runner who stretches may be less likely to sustain injuries to their legs when running or sprinting. A yoga enthusiast who does regular stretches may be less likely to experience back pain. This as a result of doing such activities.
