Stretching

Updated on July 28, 2007

Stretching (also called flexibility training) is the elongating of muscles to increases your ability to fully use the range of motion your body was built for and reduces your chances of having pulled and torn muscles. Let's also not forget that when you are flexible you move much more gracefully, you don't groan as much when you move, and you can put your body in interesting positions for whatever reason you may need to do so.

Flexibility exercises also help to relax you. The movements are slow or sustained and have long durations. Most stretching exercises also require you to breath deeply. These slow movements and deep breaths help to make flexibility exercises to reduce stress and help you focus on the present. For this reason, these exercises are great for helping you to meditate and improving overall mental and emotional health.

You should always do flexibility exercises after you warm up and after you cool down, holding each stretch for 30 seconds. Always warm up your muscles before you do flexibility exercise to ensure that you will get the full range of motion possible and avoid injury. Stretching after the cool down of your workout will help keep your muscles from stiffening up and is a great way to counteract all of the contractions you've done during your workout.