10 Things You Should Know About Stretching
Millions of new people start doing yoga or some other form of stretching every day. But many people still have a lot of questions about the benefits and pitfalls of stretching. We're going to shoot them down here, so you'll be able to decide for yourself whether you want in on this ancient art- or not.
...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules!
1) Warm Up: It's Never Too Early To Stretch Or Too Late To Start Doing Yoga - but it does help if you warm up first by taking a walk around the block, for example. It doesn't have to be a vigorous or very long warm-up, but it's not wise to go from sitting on the couch to doing advanced stretches at the same time.
2) Bouncing Isn't Good: It's also important not to bounce when stretching. When you stretch, it should be a smooth motion and you shouldn't jump into it with both feet either. You should also avoid arching your back during stretches, as this is another way people stretch incorrectly.
3) Don't Go Too Far: Even though you might feel like going further, stretching is about feeling the right sensation in your muscles at all times- not about how far you can go with your body. You want to make sure that the muscles you're working are feeling relaxed while you do these exercises.
4) Stretch After Your Workout: The best time to do stretching exercises is right after your workout. While it's always a good idea to stretch, doing it after your workout can boost your performance and help you get in shape faster. Just remember not to stretch cold muscles!
5) Yoga & Stretching Are Similar, But Different: A lot of people think about yoga and stretching as the same thing. They're actually quite different- but they both have their benefits. Stretching helps improve flexibility while yoga stretches out your entire body with movements, instead of isolated stretches.
6) Yoga Is Not Just For Women: Yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercise- but many men still shy away from it or think it's just a "girl thing". It's not! Men can get great results with yoga, just like women. In fact, you'll see a lot more men doing yoga now than ever before.
7) Stretching & Flexibility Aren't The Same Thing: Flexibility and stretching are two very different things. Flexibility stretches out your muscles and limbs while stretching focuses on the muscles themselves. The result is increased range of motion in your joints and muscles, with improved balance and posture as well.
8) If You Sweat, It's Not Stretching: Some people think that if they sweat while doing a stretch, it means they're stretching the right muscles and tissue. But that's not true, because your body can sweat for several reasons aside from doing a stretch. So just focus on getting to know the muscles you want to work during a stretch instead of worrying about how much you sweat.
9) Every Body is Different: Everyone has different bodies and stretches works best for some people than for others. A lot of this comes down to genetics and overall body composition; some people will need to stretch out more than others, but everyone can benefit from doing it at least 3-4 times a week.
10) Stretching Into The Next Millennium: One of the most exciting things about stretching and yoga is that they are becoming more and more mainstream. You won't be able to get away with it too much longer if you want to keep up with the rest of the world.
...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules! Here we go! http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should-know-about-stretching/ ...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules! Here we go! http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should-know-about-stretching/
Here is the post in Facebook that we had, which was a bit more wordy as it followed our blog post completely:
Stretch Your Limits with 10 Things You Should Know About Stretching - Yoga 247 http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should-know-about-stretching/ ...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules! Here we go! http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should...
And here is the post in Twitter that we posted:
Stretch Your Limits with 10 Things You Should Know About Stretching - Yoga 247 http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should... ...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules! Here we go! http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should...
We also posted a short video with the yoga poses and tips:
Stretching Your Limits with 10 Things You Should Know About Stretching - Yoga 247 Stretch yourself, don't stretch yourself. http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should-know/ ...plus, we'll discuss 10 things you should know about stretching. If you're ready to trade in your old fitness routine for something that will challenge your body and mind, these are the rules! Here we go! http://www.yoga247.com/10-things-you-should/
One of the things that made me feel really good about writing this blog post was how many people have commented on it on Facebook and Twitter while reading it. I've gotten several comments from people who have read previously his articles that they thought this article was one of the best ones he's ever written.
Conclusion
Stretching is one of the basic exercises a lot of beginners in the gym do. It's a great way to improve your flexibility which is very important for good physical health. Of course, stretching after the work out can help you improve more and faster. You don't need to travel on your own to get some yoga classes in order to start using yoga and stretching, just keep reading these articles and you'll learn everything you need! I hope you liked this post! I'll continue writing about more interesting stuff like this. Stay tuned :)
Also, check out other posts from health category:
References: 1: Hip & Groin Stretches - http://www.yoga-studio.