The Benefits of Stretching
Some men merely want to finish their workout as soon as possible since they are so pressed for time. They just want to get right into it without warming up or stretching before they begin.
But just a few minutes of stretching can be enormously beneficial to your workout. Just five to seven minutes of stretching before and after exercise will increase flexibility. Stretching prevents injury and soreness, helps free your body of muscular tension, improves circulation, and enhances muscle tone—giving your muscles a more defined look.
UPPER-BACK STRETCH
Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest and clasp your hands together. Push your arms forward, rounding your shoulders and upper back. Hold for 10 seconds.
CHEST STRETCH
Clasp your hands together, palms up, behind your lower back. Pull your arms up toward your head. Hold 10 seconds. Your shoulders and chest should feel stretched.
SHOULDER AND NECK STRETCH
Place both arms behind your back and grab your right wrist with your left hand. Tilt your head to the left and pull your right arm to the left. Ten seconds of holding, then continue.
POSTERIOR SHOULDER STRETCH
Grab the back of your left upper arm with your right hand and pull it across your chest gently. Repeat on the opposite side after holding for ten seconds.
TOWEL STRETCH CIRCUIT
Your muscles, like a good after-dinner glass of brandy, work best when warm. That’s why you can do more challenging stretches at the end of a workout without much risk of injury.
HAMSTRING STRETCH
Lie on your back on the floor. Lift your legs, wrap the towel behind your thighs, and gently pull your hamstrings and gluteals into a deeper stretch by tugging the ends of the towel. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
CHEST AND SHOULDER STRETCH
With the towel in your hands behind you, rise now. With your arms extended back, bend forward and slowly extend your shoulders and chest. For fifteen to thirty seconds, maintain this posture.
WARM MUSCLES WORK BETTER
When muscles are cold, they’re stiffer. Light exercise before stretching warms them and makes them more pliable, improving the stretch and reducing the risk of muscle strain. Just walk or jog slowly for ten minutes to warm up your muscles for the upcoming activities.
TRICEPS STRETCH
Finally, hold one end of the towel in your right hand and lift your right arm over your right shoulder, so the towel hangs down your back. Reach up behind you with your left hand and grab the other end of the towel. Gently pull your triceps and lats into a deeper stretch. Once you have held for 15 to 30 seconds, switch to the opposite side.
LYING ILIOTIBIAL BAND STRETCH
Lie on your back. Raise and maintain the straightness of your left leg across your torso.
BE FLEXIBLE
Flexibility is the easiest fitness element to develop. Enhancing flexibility requires, like with other forms of exercise, pushing muscles beyond their comfort zones by moving them through a range of motion in a controlled and systematic way. You merely need to add 10 extra minutes or so to what you already do.
MODIFIED HURDLER STRETCH
Sit on the floor with your left leg straight out in front of you. Press your left thigh with your right foot flat. Bend forward toward your left knee
GROIN STRETCH
Put your feet together with their soles while seated on the ground. Grasp your ankles and use your elbows to gently press your knees down. Hold for 10 seconds.
CALF STRETCH
Step forward two feet with your left foot while bending your right knee as you stand. Bend at the waist, grab the front of your left foot, and pull it gently upward. (If necessary, place your free hand on a chair or wall for balance.) Hold for 10 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.