“Flexing” your muscles
Posted May 31st, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Bridget Sullivan
Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise
I remember singing a rather cheesy song during my grade school P.E. class: as we bent down to touch our toes, our teacher made us sing – in a cacophonous tone - “s-t-r-e-t-c-h rubberband!”
I used to giggle when we sang this song, but I wasn’t giggling a few years later after I struggled through a string of running injuries largely due to negligent stretching and poor flexibility.
Go ahead … ask yourself … “How many IT-band flare-ups you could have prevented if only you would have taken an extra five minutes to stretch?”
While many athletes consider aerobic exercise, strength training, and nutrition as three critical components to establishing a balanced fitness routine, they often disregard the importance of flexibility training.
When we stretch our muscles, we take them through their full range of motion; this movement prevents our muscles from becoming stiff, weak, and tight. In fact, most trainers agree that simple flexibility exercises reduce our risk for injury.
Michael Anthony George, a personal trainer and owner of Integrated Motivational Fitness, warns that failing to stretch causes our tendons, ligaments, and muscles to shorten, which - over time - leaves our bodies ripe for damage.
“If a certain muscle group is weak, stiff, or tight, the body will actually hijack peripheral muscles to aid in that movement. Over time, these muscles can become injured,” he says.
Clearly, it’s time to quit making excuses and start flexing our muscles.
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), flexibility training:
• Allows greater freedom of movement and improved posture
• Increases physical and mental relaxation
• Releases muscle tension and soreness
• Reduces risk of injury
• Improves balance, stability, and circulation
Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife
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Tags: ACE, American Council on Exercise, flexibility, flexibility training, injury, IT Band, muscle soreness, stretching, stretching basics, WebMD
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