If you’re planning on working out, or if you do already, it is essential that you perform adequate stretches before doing so. Have you ever felt super sore after a workout? It may be because you didn’t take time to stretch before the workout. Before you begin exercising, your muscles are generally tight. To warm them up and loosen them, you must do some stretching exercises to avoid stiffness and pain afterwards.
Health experts say stretching before working out is very important. Doing so can reduce your chances of pulling muscles and help you to perform better. The most important muscles that you need to stretch before your workout are your leg muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks, and calves. Your legs are used a great deal when working out and stretching those muscles can greatly decrease your chances of injury or being sore afterwards.
There are various ways you can stretch your muscles. To stretch your hamstrings, sit down, spread your legs out, and lean over to touch your toes. To stretch the quadriceps, stand up and grab one foot and pull it up behind you, bending slowly at the knee. You should feel your quadriceps stretch as you slowly pull your leg toward you. To stretch your calf muscles, lean your foot against the wall vertically and slowly lean forward. As you do so, you should feel the calf muscle stretch. Always stretch slowly and stop just after you feel it begin to hurt a little bit.
Your lungs are also muscles, so stretching them via deep breathing is a good idea. Take 3 to 4 long, deep breaths and let out slowly. Do this several times as you are stretching your leg muscles before a workout.
It may be tempting to skip the stretching before getting into a workout, but remember that loose muscles perform better and you’ll be less apt to pull a muscle. For optimal performance and healthy muscles, opt to stretch before and after each workout. Once you get into a routine, you’ll get used to and your muscles will thank you. It doesn’t take long and it is certainly worth it.