Why It’s Important To Stretch Before And After Working Out

When you’re focused on getting to the gym or hitting the road for a jog, sometimes the last thing on your mind is stretching. All you want to do is feel the burn and strengthen your body without anything getting in the way, but the best thing.....

Taking the time to stretch before and after your workouts has incredible benefits for both your exercise regimen and your body. To learn what those advantages are, keep reading.

BENEFITS OF STRETCHING BEFORE WORKING OUT

Reduces Risk of Injury: One of the major reasons to stretch before working out is to reduce your overall risk of injury while exercising. When you stretch before jumping into cardio or before lifting a weight, your muscles become more flexible. This increased flexibility will give you a more efficient workout. Usually, when an injury occurs while exercising, it is because the muscles are not properly stretched beforehand.
Prepares the Body: In the same vein of thought, stretching and getting your body slowly moving before the intense part of your workout prepares the body for what is coming next. As mentioned, your muscles loosen up and strengthen prior to be able to handle whatever exercises you put it through.
Improves Overall Performance of Workout: Loosening and strengthening your muscles before the workout boosts overall workout performance. Looser muscles require less energy to work, plus a more flexible body can go further in your exercises. If you want a better burn with your workout, then stretch before you get started.
Improves Posture: A key component of working out properly is using the right posture. That means squatting correctly or moving in the right manner when running. Stretching helps to maintain those healthy poses and keep your body in that posture while working out.

BENEFITS OF STRETCHING AFTER WORKING OUT

Promotes Circulation: When you stretch after an intense workout, you’re encouraging your blood to flow more. This means increased circulation and more blood to the muscles that you just worked on, helping to create the below benefits.
Relieves Aches and Pains After Working Out: The best benefit of stretching after you work out is that it helps to minimize the pain and soreness in the muscles that you just used. Stretching them out helps to reduce the tension they were holding onto, encourages them to relax, brings back their full range of motion quicker, and frees up any stiffness in the area. This means you won’t have to be as sore the next day and can get right back to the gym quicker.
Decreases Pain, Especially in the Lower Back Area: If you ran for quite some time or did a lot of weight lifting, this usually puts a significant amount of strain on your lower back. But when you stretch after working out, you are reducing that strain and helping to put back mobility and flexibility into that region, plus all the other areas of your body that you stretch.
Reduces Stress on the Mind and Body: Stretching is a fantastic self-care strategy that not only reduces the stress your body might be carrying after an intense workout, but it also helps to reduce any stress your mind might be harboring onto.

If you’re struggling with managing pain while working out, the experts at Alliance Spine and Pain Centers are here to help. Give us a call at 770-929-9033 or click here to schedule an appointment.