The Importance of Stretching: How to Incorporate it Into Your Workout

By: Alli Bena

Why is stretching so important?

To put it into simple terms, stretching helps to keep muscles healthy and flexible. Without that flexibility, range of motion within the joints becomes very limited and can lead to strains and even worse, injury. Making sure to stretch regularly helps to prevent muscle damage and unwanted strains on the body. This post will walk you through the importance of stretching and how you can incorporate it into your everyday life and your workout routine. 

When to stretch

Honestly, stretching daily, even when you don't workout, holds many benefits. Taking a little bit of time each morning to stretch can help to relieve any pain that may have been caused from sleeping the night before and gets your blood flowing to prepare for the day. Whereas stretching right before bed helps to relax muscles and prevents you from waking up with more pain. Most importantly, stretches right before and after workouts are crucial for muscle health and practicing a safe workout routine. 

Stretching before a workout

Dynamic stretching is the most beneficial to do before any workout. This type of stretch includes: a brisk walk, walking lunges, leg swings, and butt kicks. Start off warming up slowly, then increase intensity by the end. This gets blood flowing and the body warmed up to prepare for any workout.

Stretching after a workout

After-workout stretching has by far shown the most benefits among any other. The best type of stretch to do after any workout routine are static stretches. This includes: toe touches, arm crossovers, and quad stretch. These kinds of post-workout stretches allows for improved recovery to increase oxygen delivered to the muscles and getting rid of waste. 

Key takeaways

Ultimately, stretching is key in living a fit and healthy lifestyle. Stretching at any time of the day helps to release built-up tension and aid in overall muscle health and flexibility allowing for a full range of motion. This is important to help prevent any strains or injuries. Stretching is just as important, if not, more important than daily workouts. View a full set of stretching routines here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stretching-routine#for-runners 

Sources

The importance of stretching. Harvard Health. (2024, April 17). https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-importance-of-stretching#:~:text=Stretching%20keeps%20the%20muscles%20flexible,to%20extend%20all%20the%20way.

WebMD. (n.d.). Stretching and flexibility: How to stretch, when to stretch. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/how-to-stretch

                       "We've got your back"                   

                                                                           BUHI                                                                        

            ➩     Shop our collections at buhi.co