TIPS FOR SAFE STRETCHING
OUR LAST ENTRY was about The Importance of Stretching. Now let’s see some advice for safe stretching. Safety should be our priority before we start. These easy tips, validated by Harvard Medical School, will help you make the best flexibility gains possible while reducing your risk of injuries.
- Warm-up first. Muscles stretch more easily when warm. So move before you start. Walk, run, jump, dance, do some squads, whatever you like and feels comfortable to you. You can also start with the exercises of the entry: How to work out when time is the issue.
- Feel no pain. You should feel the stretch and experience a little discomfort, but never pain. With time and practice, your flexibility will improve.
- Pay attention to posture and good form. Posture improves flexibility and reduces the risk of injuries.
- Focus on the muscle being stretched and the feeling, always working and balancing both sides of your body.
- Breathe. Breathe comfortably while stretching, or use yoga breathing. Never hold your breath while you are holding a stretch.
- Practice often. Daily or at least twice a week. *
*Check the entrIes:
- How to Work Out When Time is the Issue
- The Importance of Stretching
- Yoga
I am Love … I am Success!
Remember that loving ourselves means taking care, pampering and enjoying our health and our bodies, looking good and feeling good to please ourselves in the very first place and then to please others. The book I am Love … I am Success takes you through the path of that love for ourselves!
Cristina Aguilera 