How many of us have said this countless times. We are going to start stretching. Yet, once we start our day, we don’t seem to take the time.
We are fortunate that many of our exercise classes, such as spin class, take time at the end to ensure all participants are guided with some stretches. This ensures that muscles don’t tighten up unnecessarily. Not all of us are entirely aware of what good it truly does. Many of us may not attend a live class, or we may have to get back to work, and we forego the stretch at the end. If we skip this on a regular basis, we may begin to feel that we have ‘tight’ muscles.
What is happening.
At times, we can experience an injury of unknown origin. Some of us seem to incur an injury that arises repetitively. Ultimately, this is the result of the muscle and/or joint’s inability to tolerate the load thrown at it. We may become aware of increasing tightness in a particular area or feel something go ‘ping’.
Some people return to an exercise regimen after a longer than expected hiatus, only to suddenly experience an injury that propels them once again to step away from any activity in order to recover.
Whatever the reason, choosing to practice a regular stretching routine will allow us to continue our activities and experience injuries less frequently as a result. As well, it will help us optimize our regimen and improve our strength and mobility, allowing us to optimize our current health practices and set new goals.
Remember, when we need physiotherapy to recover from an injury, there are always stretches recommended to assist with the healing process, sooooooo doing this in advance may prove helpful in reducing the risk of injury.