Why You Need to Stretch After Working Out
You’re dedicated to staying fit, right? You sweat, you work, you put in your time in the health club or on the trail. So why would you leave out one of the most crucial elements in taking care of your body?
When you workout, you contract muscles to make them stronger. This, naturally, tightens them. When your muscles get too tight, they pull on your bones and this is one of the biggest reasons people get aches, pains, and injuries.
For example, if your quads and hip flexors are too tight, they can pull your femur (thighbone) forward of where it wants to be, creating back or hip pain. Sciatica is all too common, and is partially caused by just this misalignment – tight muscles pulling the femur forward out of alignment, which causes the piriformus muscle in the buttocks to tighten around the sciatic nerve. If you stretch the necessary muscles in alignment, you can remove the cause of the discomfort. Pretty cool, huh?
Video of Post Workout Stretches
Most people don’t stretch enough to keep their bodies happy, and many people who do stretch have never been taught how to align in order to stretch safely and effectively.
Some Stretching Tips:
- Engage the muscle while you stretch it – relaxing the muscle you are lengthening can increase chance of injury because the body automatically wants to tighten it in order to protect the muscle.
- Use your breath mindfully – reach with your breath into the places you feel the stretch. Just think about your breath moving there and clearing the tension, restoring balance in your body. It really does help.
- Listen to your body – your body is supremely intelligent. When you feel pain that’s your body telling you that something is misaligned and asking you to do something about it. NEVER FORCE OR STRAIN – that’s just asking for complications. If you feel pain or a twinge in your stretch, back off, re-align, and use your breath to go back into it.
The following videos have an excellent sequence that will address the major areas that need to be stretched after you exercise. Give it a shot – your body will thank you.
No More Excuses
You may have heard yourself thinking along these lines:
“Sure I know I ought to stretch, but I’m so not flexible.”
“There’s not enough time for stretching, maybe I’ll do it later.”
These types of excuses might come to mind when some part of you wants to avoid the necessity of stretching. But when you skip stretching, you’re cheating yourself and your workout. Then you have to deal with aches and pains, more soreness than necessary, or feeling extra tight.
You don’t have to touch your toes – being flexible is not a prerequisite to stretching and yoga. Just do your best, being honest with where your body is right now.
Learn how to align while you stretch so you can get the most out of your effort. Check out the teacher directory at Anusara.com to find a teacher near you. You can also learn more from my other videos, such as this Short Yoga Practice.
The Benefits of Yoga and Stretching Mindfully
Stretching with your breath, in alignment and with awareness, is also known as yoga. The benefits are numerous and well documented.
Here are just some of the benefits of yoga:
- Increases circulation, supporting optimal health in many ways
- Balances strength and flexibility
- Increases lubrication of joints and connective tissue
- Increases breath capacity
- Detoxifies the body and de-stresses the mind
To learn more about yoga, visit my yoga and meditation blog.
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