Stretching and its benefits | Before & after Workout | Fitness

IMPORTANCE OF STRETCHING BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT

Stretching allows our muscles to stay flexible, strong and healthy. Flexibility may not be a very important factor when you carry out linear movements but it does help to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Lack of flexibility make the muscles short and tight resulting in soreness and injuries.Regular stretching increase the length of our muscles and make it lean as well. A workout routine allows the muscle to sustain exertion and force as well. Stretching before and after workout has differential benefits. It is commonly believed that stretching has minimal impact on the muscles and joints. It is time to bust those common myths and explore the benefits of stretching before and after workouts :

BEFORE WORKOUTYou do not fundamentally do not need to stretch your muscles before the workout especially your workout routine is featured with cardiac exercises and lots of linear movement. Stretching before workout is only needed in those parts which are going to be in motion. For example, if you are going to do weight-training, you may want to stretch your arms and joints in the back for better mobility. Here are few of the uses of stretching before working out : 

Improve circulation : Before any workout, the body stays inactive. The blood flow is lethargic and inconsistent. Stretching triggers quick blood flow thus setting up your body for the actual workout.

Increases your range of motion : Stretching before any workout sets the tone for the workout. The blood circulates across the body which helps in a better movement of your muscles and joints which increases the efficiency of your workout.

Avoid muscle strains : Muscles get the set motion required to increase the range of movement. An active muscle before the workout reduces the risk of muscle strains during the workout.

Avoid joint strains : Joints, just like the muscles get the required motion which betters the movement and mobility of the joints during the workout resulting in reduced chances of suffering strains at the joints during the workout.

AFTER WORKOUT

Stretching after workout is a very common phenomenon unlike the trend of stretching before workout which is seldom practiced across the sports and fitness fraternity. Stretching after any sort of workout irrespective of the type of movement is a brilliant stress buster and is highly recommended. It slows down the flow of blood and carries out a gradual limbering down of the body which is extremely crucial to avoid a sore body and to slowly subside the the lactic acid from the active muscles. Here are the benefits of stretching after working out : 

Reduce muscle tension : Your muscles are stretched and active just after your workout. It needs a gradual slowing down. Stretching your muscles after any workout allows your muscles to reduce the tension in a steady pace.

Reduce the risk of back problems : The back bones and joints are the most used part when you carry out any intense workout. Stretching after any sort of exercise becomes extremely significant to reduce the risk of back issues which may develop to the sudden pause during any workout.

Reduce muscular soreness : Just after you are done with your workout. The muscles slow down but it still stays active. The active muscles but the static body is a very dangerous combination. The muscle is loaded up with lactic acid which accumulates steadily resulting in intense muscle sore, causing you pain after any sort of movement after the workout. Hence, it is highly advisable to stretch the active muscles to subside the lactic acid and avoid any sort of muscular soreness.

Reduce chances of Injuries : Muscles and joints tend to suffer injuries due to lack of stretching after the exercise. Stretching allows the muscles to relax which is key to avoid internal injuries.