Stretching" before and after exercise is very important

Anyone who works out knows that stretching is important.

But sometimes, because of time constraints or because they don't know how to use the correct stretching method, the muscles become sore on the second and third day after exercise and fitness, and in serious cases, it also causes problems in normal life.

Today we'll talk about stretching, the things you care most about.

What is stretching?

"Stretching" means stretching out the tense muscles and making the joints more mobile, so that the ligaments and muscles and the joints work together more gently, reducing the possibility of injury.

The benefits of stretching are many.

1. stretching provides rapid relief from muscle spasms, delayed muscle pain, and other symptoms.

2. enhancing blood circulation during exercises, resulting in improved nutrition of muscles, ligaments, and other local tissues, thus improving muscle flexibility and movement effects.

3. stretching can well improve the body shape and give the muscle better elasticity so that it can be stretched longer.

4. increasing the range of motion of the joints and improving the flexibility of the body can slow down aging to a great extent, improving the immunity of the body and prolonging life.

5. the accumulation of lactic acid will cause local muscle soreness, and muscle stretching is a way to accelerate lactic acid excretion Oh.

6. can make the muscles tighter, more and more smooth lines

This may be the origin of the old saying: "an inch of tendon growth, prolong life by ten years"!

The most common forms of stretching are mainly two kinds: static stretching and dynamic stretching

Different times, different exercises, and the choice of stretching exercises are different.

1. Static stretching

Static, that is, continuous stretching to maintain a stretching position. Not only can improve the length of tight muscles and muscles that have not been exercised for a long time after injury, but it is also very effective in relaxing and improving the pain tolerance of stretching.

General exercise after doing some static stretching to soothe the muscles.

The 7 most commonly used static stretching movements

Action: posterior deltoid stretch (10~30 seconds)

Key points.

Stand well, upper back straight, lift one arm to the chest, the other hand holding the big arm, continue to pull to the chest (can not shrug)

Action: triceps stretch (10 ~ 30 seconds)

Key points.

Stand well, upper back straight, lift one hand, touch the same side of the shoulder blade, the other hand holding the large arm to pull backward and downward.

Operation: latissimus dorsi stretch (10 ~ 30 seconds)

Points to remember.

Stand facing a fixed object, hold the fixed object with both hands crossed, straighten the upper back, bend forward as a whole, and place the head between the arms (shoulders lower than the hands, the center of gravity moves backward and downward)

Action: pectoralis major stretch (10~30 seconds)

Key points.

Stand sideways to a fixed object, with the upper body waist, and back straight. Raise one arm, bend the elbow 90 degrees fixed, elbow and shoulder height, march the same side of the leg forward, the body as a whole to move forward

Action: quadriceps stretch (10-30 seconds)

Key points.

Side to fixed objects stand well, the upper body back straight

One side of the hand to hold a fixed object, the other side of the hand to grab the opposite side of the calf

Action: gluteus maximus stretch (10 ~ 30 seconds)

Points to remember.

Lie on your back on the mat, straighten your upper body and back

Bend the knee of one leg, and place the calf of the other side above the thigh of the bent knee side

Hands holding the support side of the thigh, pull to the chest (pelvis can not leave the mat a lot, the upper body close to the mat)

Action: rectus abdominal stretch (10~30 seconds)

Key points.

Lie prone on the mat, feet together, legs straight

Elbows will be propped up the upper body, pelvis close to the mat

2. Dynamic stretching

It is the use of specific stretching movements to move the body limbs, so that the muscles are active, thereby increasing blood flow to the muscles.

It can be used as part of the warm-up activities before exercise or sports performance.

6 dynamic stretching movements, so that you can exercise happily and healthily

Action: Open and close jump (30~40 seconds)

Key points.

Standing, jumping, keeping the body weight stable, legs jumping open, slightly wider than shoulder width

Action: high leg lift (30~40 seconds)

Points.

Standing leg lift, lift the leg as high as possible, thighs and calves about 90%, swing the arms, landing on the ground, toes pointing to the ground.

Action: lunge squat (15 ~ 20 times)

Key points.

Lunge squat is a movement similar to running in a movement pattern, hands in the waist, while the upper body remains upright, the back foot bent down.

Movements: straight leg high lift touch

Main points.

Standing, legs in turn kick forward, arms forward to touch the toes, kick the legs to keep the center of gravity stable.

Movements: side run rotation (repeat run 10-15 meters, change direction)

Key points.

Keep your upper body upright, cross your legs, move in small steps, and when you move, rely mainly on your toes to generate power.

Action: side leg press (10-15 times)

Points.

Standing, one foot to the side of a large step, while doing a side lunge, the upper body remains upright.

Finally, is it stretching before or after exercise?

In fact, before and after the exercise need to stretch, but each time to do the purpose of stretching is different.

Pre-exercise stretching is to increase joint mobility, helps improve the elasticity and extensibility of muscles and tendons, and effectively prevent injuries that occur during exercise.

Generally choose dynamic stretching, the length of 5 to 10 minutes.

Post-exercise stretching is to relax the muscles so that the tight muscles and tendons can be stretched after exercise, which helps to prevent the soreness that occurs after exercise.

Generally, choose static stretching, each exercise stays 10 ~ 30 seconds, total length of 5 ~ 10 minutes