Flexibility: 5 Muscle Stretching Tips to Avoid Injury and Improve Flexibility -

5 Muscle Stretching Tips to Avoid Injury and Improve Flexibility

Flexibility:

If you want to use a treadmill to help burn calories and lose weight then it is really important that you stretch your muscles before you start exercising. Stretching helps to prevent injuries which could reduce your performance and the effectiveness of your workout.
Ideally, you will stretch right before you begin to walk on your treadmill and again afterwards. Stretching before your workout will help with your flexibility, and stretching afterward will also help prevent injury.
Here are some excellent ways to ensure that your muscles are not injured while using your treadmill:
1. The first mistake many people make is to try and stretch too far. If you are in pain then you have stretched too far! It is much better to stretch to a position that you find comfortable, and then hold this stance for between 15 - 20 seconds.
2. When stretching you should always breathe - some people believe that holding their breathe will help, but this is not the case. By actually doing some deep breathing exercises you will be able to give your muscles a much more thorough stretch.
3. Warm up your muscles before you stretch. Some people believe that stretching is the warm-up. But you should walk or jog for a few minutes to get the blood flowing and then begin to stretch.
4. A warm bath or shower and a stretch are excellent ways to end an exercise session. The warm water of the bath or shower will help to relax your muscles and the stretching will help avoid injury and will feel great!
5. Don't bounce during your stretches. You may have seen many athletes on TV bouncing while they stretched their muscles. This can actually cause injury rather than prevent it.
It's always important to stretch all of your muscles and not just those in your legs - after all, walking on a treadmill actually exercises your whole body! Be sure to fully stretch the muscles in your legs, such as your calf muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings. However, you should also make sure your other muscles are fully stretched too, pay special attention to your neck, abs, back and shoulders.
Don't be scared to mix up your stretching exercises a bit. Instead of just trying to touch your toes, you can also try a number of other different stretches. Try doing the splits or some lunges, or even some calf stretches. Stand on the edge of a step and lower your heel over the edge, but remember to stop just before it gets painful.
Keeping your movements slow and precise will give you the best results, in fact by keeping some tension in your muscles you will be sure to get the most from your stretching exercises. It is really important that you remember to stop stretching before it becomes uncomfortable though.