Stretching is a fundamental practice for athletes of all disciplines, but also for all those people who want to feel better and increase their flexibility. Here are some tips on how to do stretching to avoid injury during physical activity and to dissolve and relax your body in the morning or evening.
A MORE FLEXIBLE BODY IS A HEALTHIER BODY
The benefits of regular stretching sessions are many, including improved general fitness, increased mental and physical relaxation, increased body awareness, reduced muscle tension, greater agility in all movements and a drastic reduction in the risk of contractures and injuries for those who perform sports of a certain intensity.
In order to reap all the benefits of stretching, however, it is important to perform each exercise in the right way and at the right time, following a precise sequence, otherwise it is easy to frustrate the effort and even cause serious damage to your body.
For this reason, we advise those who have never done stretching to approach these practices by following specific courses, available at all gyms, to familiarize themselves with the movements, then, once you learn how to do stretching in the correct way, you can repeat the exercises and stretching in the comfort of your own home.
It should also be remembered that stretching does not mean “warming up”, even if it is an important part of it; in fact, stretching should be done in a certain way after a general warm-up and before physical activity to prepare the body for the increase in intensity, and in another way after physical activity to stretch and relax the muscles.
A well done stretching, in fact, not only serves to dissolve muscle stiffness but can contribute in a fundamental way to the improvement of sports performance.
STATIC STRETCHING AND DYNAMIC STRETCHING
Stretching practices in the warm-up phase are divided between static and dynamic, and each must be used at a precise moment of heating. Static stretching, in fact, must be performed before dynamic stretching, as dynamic stretching when performed with cold muscle can also result in annoying muscle injuries. It is therefore always preferable to start with a slow rhythm before performing the most demanding exercises.
When you do a sport, it is a good idea to organise yourself so that you can devote the right amount of time to stretching, without having to rush your time due to lack of time and devoting yourself in particular to specific exercises for that particular sport. If, on the other hand, you want to do general stretching, it is important to follow the sequences that you can also learn yourself by buying books, following video courses or identifying the exercises on the net.
We always remember, however, that there is no book, video course or manual that can replace the professionalism and competence of a real coach, a personal trainer or a specialized athletic trainer, who knows how to guide you step by step in the perfect execution of each exercise according to your needs and those of your body.