Don't Forget to Stretch!

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LilKoko91
LilKoko91 Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
It is SO important to stretch before, and after a workout. Your muscles need a proper stretching exercise routine, not only will you prevent injury by helping your joints move to their full range of motion. Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle, and prepares your body for the exercise you are about to do. STRETCH!

I was very sore after a few days of exercise and this video was great!

https://youtu.be/DDkmGap-BSQ
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I have never stretched before exercise...?
  • blackcoffeeandcherrypie
    blackcoffeeandcherrypie Posts: 486 Member
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    Never stretched before exercise. I don't think it makes any difference. Yoga is nice to improve flexibility overall, though.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    I have sciatica and chronic back pain. What I've found works best for me is to warm up until I break a light sweat, then targeted back and hamstring stretches, regular workout, cool down, and then full-body stretching. If I miss any of these steps, I'm hurty afterwards.
  • DonkeyHueco
    DonkeyHueco Posts: 9 Member
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    Stretching actually decreases your mobility and flexibility for about 15 minutes. Stretch afterwards, warm-up before.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,565 Member
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    Stretching isn't a necessity for good health. While one SHOULD try to be a flexible as they can for more range of motion, there's a fallacy that stretching prevents injuries. Injuries of any type usually happen from sudden movement, impact or over exertion of a muscle or joint. And those injuries end up being tears of some time to a ligament, tendon or even the muscle and stretching can't prevent that.
    As mentioned, you don't use stretching to warm up unless it's dynamic stretching and then static stretch later after a workout.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Eh. Being hyper mobile one of the worst things I can do is stretch. Most of my mobility work is actually stabilization work. The less I stretch the stronger and more stable my joints are.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    actually no, you are not supposed to stretch your muscles before you have warmed them up...

    Muscles are almost 100 degrees F, which is quite warm. Most other mammals stretch whenever they feel the need, without doing a cardio warmup prior. Just saying. :+1:
  • Alisonswim46
    Alisonswim46 Posts: 208 Member
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    Well I enjoy a short stretch session or foam rolling session before a workout. Just sitting on the floor for a few minutes to get out some kinks feels good. I really don't think there's a wrong or a right, just do what you need to do to feel ready to workout.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    edited January 2017
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Stretching isn't a necessity for good health. While one SHOULD try to be a flexible as they can for more range of motion, there's a fallacy that stretching prevents injuries. Injuries of any type usually happen from sudden movement, impact or over exertion of a muscle or joint. And those injuries end up being tears of some time to a ligament, tendon or even the muscle and stretching can't prevent that.
    As mentioned, you don't use stretching to warm up unless it's dynamic stretching and then static stretch later after a workout.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Music to my ears. I hate stretching and I get injured way too often. Still did not want to believe that stretching could have prevented those injuries. Do you have a source by chance?

  • fitin50s2
    fitin50s2 Posts: 111 Member
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    I actually love to stretch and have a personal goal to do a lot more of it this year. Love how I feel when I'm done.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    Stretching was very important when I did gymnastics and ballet; we had to stretch before and during our workouts. Now, I do very few stretches, mostly what is part of the workout video itself. I have lost a lot of flexibility. I need to get some of it back! I'm thinking of adding a few minutes of extra stretching after some yoga once a week.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Dynamic stretching before...static stretching after.

    Yup, this is what I've read everywhere lately and it makes lots of sense to me.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    I have to warm up and stretch before I exercise or I'll cramp in my ankles, hips, or shoulders (depending of what we're doing). I'm terrible about stretching afterward though.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
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    depends on the exercise and the intensity i guess, but before my runs all i do is walk for 5 minutes at a brisk pace. After my runs,i stretch my arms thoroughly,and i do a couple of leg stretches too, together with a 5 minute cooldown. I went from 0 to 10k this way and have had no injuries yet, so it works for me.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited January 2017
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    I never stretch, but I do a warm up....cool down. (touch wood haven't ever had any injuries in my 4 years of consistent working out)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,981 Member
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    I use to stretch b4 workouts. Took too long and it didn't help (or hurt). So, it was (for me) just a waste of time.

    All I do is warmup doing a 3 set reverse pyramid below my target wt and then just go for it. Just fine doing only this.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Dynamic stretching before...static stretching after.

    If you plan on stretching before/ after, agreed.

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