Personal Fitness Training Articles
The importance of stretching
For the average gym patron stretching before and after a workout sounds good but is rarely done. Most of the time it’s skipped due to a lack of knowledge. The other reason is that most people don’t like stretching themselves because it “hurts.” These are both understandable reasons but hopefully by the end of this article you’ll understand why it’s so important to stretch before and after a workout.
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training Third Edition/www.nasm.org) Flexibility Training is used for a variety of reasons, including:
- Correcting muscle imbalances
- Increasing joint range of motion
- Decreasing the excessive tension of muscles
- Relieving joint stress
- Improving the extensibility of the musculotendinous junction
- Maintaining the normal functional length of all muscles
- Improving optimum neuromuscular efficiency
- Improving function
This article is a beginners introduction to stretching. As such lets focus on the first one which is “Correcting muscle imbalances.” One of the main reasons for correcting muscle imbalances is to reduce the risk of injury. After years of use your body will create these imbalances based on your environment as well as previous injuries etc... An example of this would be for someone who sits at a desk all day staring at a computer screen. You may develop a forward head, rounded shoulders and tight hip flexors. These imbalances are common with this type of work. By correcting the muscle imbalances and putting your body back into proper alignment we can reduce a lot of the pain that is associated with poor posture.
One of the ways we begin this “Correcting of muscle imbalances” is through stretching. Your workouts will begin with a brisk five minute warm-up.Immediately following the warm up you will begin with “self-myofascial release.” This type of stretching requires a foam roller and some floor space. The purpose of self-myofascial release is to apply force to an adhesion or “knot” so that the elastic muscle fibers are moved into a straighter alignment with the muscle. By doing so you can restore the body back to it’s optimum level of function. This type of stretching should be done before static stretching and activity. It can also be used during the cool down process.
Following self-myofascial release it is recommended you begin “Static Stretching.” Static stretching is the more traditional type of stretching that most people are familiar with. It involves taking a muscle to the point of tension and holding the stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds. By doing this it allows the muscle to relax and provides for better elongation of the muscle. Static stretching should ONLY be used in the beginning of a workout if muscle imbalances are present. This type of stretching with self-myofascial release is ideal for people who are new to stretching.
Both of these types of stretching should be repeated following any type of fitness workout. By doing these stretches post-workout it allows you to restore the muscles to their proper length and ensures that no new muscle imbalances are created.
Like any exercise stretching is ideally administered and oversaw by a certified professional trainer. For more information on stretching and fitness routines please contact Hublife Fitness by phone 480-399-8506
