|
|
Individuals at fitness level 1 have never (or rarely) stretched while exercising.
Stretching should be done to decrease muscle soreness, increase your range of motion
around a joint, reduce your chance of injury, decrease muscular stress etc... If you are
planning on stretching to relieve pain (not muscle soreness), you should see your doctor
prior to beginning a stretching program. Pain indicates that you have a problem - doing
the wrong stretching exercises can make it worse. Individuals who do not have a medical
condition should definitely notice a difference in their body once they begin a stretching
program. One of the main things you'll notice is that your muscles aren't as tight and
that they feel more relaxed. You may also notice that a particular muscle that has been
bothering you, doesn't any more. Weight lifters may notice that they can actually lift
more weight after they've been stretching for a while.
This fitness program is three pronged. It includes not only flexibility exercises, but
also cardiovascular and strength exercises as well. To increase your level of flexibility,
try to stretch 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. (20 - 30 minutes may sound like a lot of
time to spend stretching; however, if you incorporate it into a workout routine where you
stretch 10-15 minutes before weight training/cardiovascular work and 10-15 minutes after,
it is a reasonable time frame to work with.) Stretching should always be preceded by a
5-10 minutes warm-up period where you are moving in a rhythmic fashion using all your
major muscle groups. (This sends blood to the muscles and readies them for activity.)
Remember to use the Static Stretch method and try to hold each stretch for at least 10-30
seconds.
Cardiovascular exercise can also help improve flexibility by using and working the
muscles. Try to participate in a cardio activity three times a week for 20 minutes. If you
are not currently in a cardiovascular program, try walking, jogging, swimming, biking,
hiking, in-line skating, aerobics classes etc.. Remember, you can work stretching into a
cardiovascular workout by stretching before you begin and after you are done.
Strength training can improve flexibility by improving muscular tone and endurance. Try
to participate in some type of strength training activity 2 times a week for 20 minutes.
Strength training can be done with or without weights. You can do abdominal work, push
ups, pull ups, tricep dips etc... without picking up a weight or using a weight machine.
If you'd like to use some type of equipment, try hand weights, rubber bands, tubing,
dynabands or health club equipment. Whatever you decide to use, make sure you use the
proper form. If you belong to a health club, ask a trainer for help. If you don't belong
to a health club, purchase a video which gives instruction on how to use the piece of
equipment you have purchased. When doing strength training, form is everything - make sure
the last repetition you do is as pretty as the first. As with cardiovascular exercise,
stretching should be incorporated into a strength training workout too. Begin by warming
up for 5-10 minutes (on a treadmill, exercise bike etc...), then stretch your major muscle
groups, begin your weight training segment, end by stretching the major muscle groups
after your done lifting.
There are many different methods of stretching: athletic, yoga, pilates and tai chi. I
will be giving examples of athletic stretches. If you are interested in another type of
stretching method, the video market is saturated with tapes in all these areas. To see
specific stretches for different major muscle groups, click here
Once you have been on this training program for a while, you may feel like you need to spend more time stretching. At this point, you can move up to Fitness Level 2
Back to Determining an Exercise Program