WEEK SEVENTEEN

The Benefits of Stretching
By Elizabeth Quinn - from Sports Medicine.com

(Mapper added some info last week on the importance of cool down after a workout. So here's some info on stretching from Sportsmedicine.com)

If you want to improve your sports performance, prevent sports injury, alleviate back and other muscle pain or just increase your flexibility, a comprehensive stretching program may an appropriate addition to your training routine.

Whether an athlete, coach, or trainer, you know how annoying and debilitating a sports injury can be. In reality, when you have a sports injury you’re actually losing on two fronts. An injury does damage to muscles and tendons and you need time to recuperate. You’re also losing the time you could have been putting into training.

A correct warm up will help to raise body temperature, increase blood flow and promote oxygen supply to the muscles. It will also help to prepare the mind, body, muscles and joints for the physical activity to come.

While warming up is important, a good cool down also plays a vital role in helping to prevent sports injury. A good cool down will prevent blood from pooling in your limbs. It will also prevent waste products, such as lactic acid, building up in your muscles.

Cooling down will help your muscles and tendons to relax and loosen, stopping them from becoming stiff and tight.


Stretching - The simple technique of stretching can play an important role in helping you to prevent the occurrence of sports injury. Unfortunately stretching is one area of athletic preparation often neglected. Don't make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won't be effective. Stretching is a vital part of any exercise program and should be looked upon as being as important as any other part of your health and fitness.

How Does Stretching Prevent Injury? One of the greatest benefits of stretching is that you’re able to increase the length of both your muscles and tendons. This leads to an increased range of movement, which means your limbs and joints can move further before an injury occurs.

For example, if the muscles in your neck are tight your ability to look behind is limited. If your head is moved beyond this range, it could result in a muscle tear or strain. You can help to prevent this from happening by increasing the flexibility, and the range of movement, of the muscles and tendons in your neck.

The Hamstring muscles are put under a huge strain when doing any sort of sport that involves running and especially for sports that require kicking. Short, tight hamstring muscles can spell disaster for many exercisers. By ensuring these muscles are loose and flexible, you'll cut your chance of a hamstring injury dramatically.

(All the exercises shown simply require holding for 20 seconds)