Stretching-Giving your body the attention it needs

Stretching is one of the most important components of your fitness regime. It is the attention your body needs. Everyone, no matter what your fitness routine is, Cardio, Weight training, Cycling, Running, MMA fighting, Walking, Rowing, you get the point, should incorporate a stretching phase.
Ideally everyone should stretch after your workouts, but even better would be to designate specific time to warm up and just stretch out all your muscles.
Stretching your muscles, even the ones that you may think are not sore or tight, need to be lengthened to help with recovery, prevent injury or increase range of motion to a muscle that is tight from a previous injury.
As we get older, and we all do, no matter how fit you may be, our muscles get tighter and tighter. With that happening we tend do compensate with other muscles, or our bodies reform due to over worked mucscle.
For example, you sit at a desk all day long. You arms are reached forward, your back is slightly slouched at your desk, your shoulders are rounded forward and your knees are bent in your chair. As your arms are reached forward,your chest in clinched in. You back muscles as they are slouched take all the pressure, but your chest muscles become very tight and shortened. As your shoulders are rounded forward it puts stress on our neck and trapezius muscles (very top of the back). As your knees are bent in your chair, your hamstrings (the back of the thigh) tighten and shorten.
This is why the number one reason for low back pain is sitting at a desk or being sedentary. Those muscles need to be lengthened and stress needs to be release from your body.
Stretching your chest, upper and lower back, shoulders, neck, hips, abdominals, hamstrings, quadriceps (front of the thigh), and calvesis crucial to a long healthy life.
The key to a good stretch is to make sure your muscles are warm. You do not want to stretch with cold muscles. Roll out your joints and do active stretches prior to holding a stretch.
Each stretch should be help for at least 10-20 seconds to reap the benefits. Taking deep breathes as you are stretching will help release any tension and allow your body to relax into your stretch a little deeper.
Never stretch to where it hurts. A stretch should feel tension and resistance but should not hurt.
Using tools such as bands, a towel, a strap or even blocks to help you get into a stretch without discomfort is a good way to ease into a stretch or help you get the proper positioning.
Listen to your body. Ease out of each stretch slowly.

Think of your muscles as rubber bands. If you stretch it too much it will snap. If you pull it too hard it will snap. If you slowly work at it daily the rubber band will become loser but won't break. You want to take care of your rubber bands. Treat them with love and attention and they will love you back.
Look for a Gentle Yoga class or  a Stretch class near you.
To check out our class schedule go to www.sweatcardio.com
or call 951-302-0088 for more information.
Stay fit, Be well,
Sweat Cardio and Yoga
 Michelle Rotell, owner