Why you Should Stretch

Posted by emma on June 9, 2011 under Marathon Training, Personal Fitness | Comments are off for this article

Why you Should Stretch

A warm up consists of stretching and flexibility exercises; they should be performed for a minimum of 5-7 minutes before an aerobic exercise.

A warm up helps to keep your muscles supple, it enhances your flexibility, improves coordination, it increases your body temperature and heart rate, increases blood flow and helps to prevent injuries.

A stretch should reach the point of mild tension; if you however overstretch you will cause damage. If the stretch feels painful then you are overstretching.

Each stretch should be held for a minimum of 15 seconds. Breathing should be slow and natural. Each stretch should be done one or two times. With each stretch try and stretch a little further.

Cool downs consist of slow walking and stretching and done after aerobic exercises. A cool down lasts for a bout 5-7 minutes and the purpose is to lower your heart rate and blood pressure to resting level.