Stretching

I know time is short for all of us. When we finally take the time to exercise, stretching is probably at the bottom of the list of things to get done.

While someone in their 20's with long muscles may be able to get away with not stretching, this omission will catch up with everyone eventually. Take me for instance. I have always been extremely flexible, to the point of gaining the nickname of Gumby in High School. I got cocky and stopped stretching. A decade later, I am trying to regain some of my lost flexibility by adding stretching into my workout every day.

A few tips:
1. Save your serious stretching for after you workout. By then your muscles will be warm and pliable. Also, when you stretch, there can be little tears in the muscle which might get in the way of a safe cardiovascular workout.
2. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. When I am adding flexibility to a muscle I will actually hold a stretch for two sets of three minutes each. To maintain flexibility, I hold one set of 30 seconds per stretch.
3. NEVER EVER bounce during a stretch. (unless you are attempting to "get out" of something with a self-induced injury.)

Budget in an extra 10 minutes for stretching. After a few weeks, you should begin to feel a big difference in your mobility. I know I have!