Exercising is a habit that is good for both our body and our mind. But not everyone sees stretching as an integral part of physical activity. Unfortunately, at times, we skip it for the most varied reasons: we are tired, we don’t want to or we simply don’t give it the right importance. Still, stretching is not only an integral part of physical activity, it is also a vital part, which you should never skip, whether in the gym or at home.
After any type of physical activity it is very important to stretch to stretch all the muscles used during training. The stretching of the muscles will allow to stretch the connective tissue around the muscle, offering us greater mobility that will help us in every movement. In addition, stretching helps improve blood flow but above all it could protect us from injury. That’s why we must never give up at least 15 minutes of stretching after each workout.
The stretching exercises to do absolutely after each workout to avoid injury
To perform stretching exercises well, it is necessary to pay attention to the movements and their performance. It is good to start with slow and gradual movements, especially if we are not used to stretching. We must learn to be constant: it will not be enough to stretch 2 or 3 times a week, the stretch must be done every time we train. Breathing is also important. Not only does it help our mind to hold the position for as long as necessary but it also helps improve circulation.
When we stretch it is important to learn to listen to ourselves. We need to feel tension in the muscle we are stretching but if this tension turns into pain it is good to release the position gradually. Pain is a symptom that we are probably doing too much.
Let’s figure out which stretching exercises to do absolutely after each workout to avoid injuries. It is always good to specify that stretching must be done according to the physical activity we do and the muscles we move. If, for example, we do a targeted leg workout it will be necessary to give importance to the stretching of the legs.
Breathing
We relax our breathing after training by doing 5 minutes of light walking. We inhale and exhale deeply to regulate breathing and heart rate.
Legs
We continue with a leg stretch. Let’s sit on the ground and spread our legs to the sides of the torso, we must feel a slight pull but not too much. At this point we approach the torso to one of the two legs trying to touch the tip of the foot with the hands. We hold the position for 30 seconds and then switch to the other leg.
Arm
We raise the right arm, bend the elbow behind the nape and try to bring the hand closer to our back, pushing the elbow down with the left hand. We hold the position for 30 seconds and then move on to the other arm.