Should I Stretch? How and When?

Stretching may take a back seat to your exercise routine. You may think that stretching your hamstrings and calves is just something to be done if you have a few extra minutes before or after pounding out some miles on the treadmill.

Not so fast. Although studies about the benefits of stretching are mixed, stretching may help you improve your joint range of motion, which in turn may help improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. It is important to understand how to stretch correctly. Some studies show that stretching helps while others show that stretching before or after exercise has little, if any, benefit and doesn't reduce muscle soreness after exercise.

More research is need, but some benefits of stretching are thought to be:

• Improving athletic performance in some activities
• Decreasing the risk of activity-based injuries

Stretching can help improve flexibility, and range of motion in your joints. Better flexibility may improve your performance in physical activities or decrease your risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range of motion and enabling your muscles to work most effectively. Stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle.

Before you plunge into stretching, make sure you do it safely and effectively. While you can stretch anytime, anywhere - in your home , at work, in a hotel room or at the park - you want to be sure to use proper technique. Stretching incorrectly can actually do more harm than good.

Use these tips to keep stretching safe:

Don't consider stretching a warm-up. You may hurt yourself if you stretch cold muscles. So before stretching, warm up with light walking, jogging or biking at low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes.  Better yet, stretch after you exercise when your muscles are warmed up.

Focus on major muscle groups such as your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders.  Also stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play. Make sure you stretch both sides.

Don't bounce. Stretch in a smooth movement, without bouncing. Bouncing as you stretch can cause injury to your muscle.

Don't aim for pain. Expect to feel tension, not pain. If it hurts, you've pushed too far - back off.

Bring movement into your stretching. Gentle movement can help you be more flexible in specific movements. The gentle movements of t'ai chi or yoga, for example, may be a good way to stretch.  If you are going to perform a specific activity, such as a kick in martial arts or kicking a soccer ball, do the move slowly and at low intensity at first to get your muscles used to it.

In some cases, you may need to approach stretching with caution. If you have a chronic condition or an injury, you may need to adjust your stretching techniques. For example, if you already have a strained muscle, stretching it may cause further harm.  And don't think that because you stretch you can't get injured. Stretching won't prevent an overuse injury. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the most appropriate way to stretch if you have any health concerns.

As with everything we talk about, take it in manageable steps and keep it simple.  Stay well, fit and happy.

barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com

A First Step Makes a Big Difference

Do you often think you would like to improve your health, but worry that you don't have the motivation to join a gym or make big diet changes? It's great that you want to improve your health. Don't think that you have to make big changes to have an effect. Even small, basic steps can have dramatic effects.

One of the biggest drops in heart disease risk occurs when you go from a sedentary lifestyle to being active as little as one hour a week. That's right, just one hour. Obviously, the more active you are, the better. But just one solid hour of activity over the course of a week makes a difference.

Here's a little quick start plan by the numbers that can be your first step to wellness.

Eat 5.  Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Start by eating breakfast and including at least one serving of fruit or vegetable. Snack on vegetables or fruit between meals. Make a conscious effort to include fruits and vegetables in your daily meals. Don't worry so much about foods you shouldn't eat, just work on getting five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Move 10. Add at least 10 minutes of moderately intense physical activity to what you do every day. Yes, government recommendations say 30 minutes or more a day, but the bottom line is even 10 minutes makes a difference. For example, just 60 to 90 minutes a week of physical activity can reduce your heart disease risk by up to half. That's a big benefit from a pretty small commitment on your part. It doesn't have to be elaborate - take the stairs, take a walk, just get moving. As you become more active, you can try to increase your total amount of activity a day.

Sleep 8. Quality sleep is good for your heart. It can be a challenge to make time for good sleep, but it's important. For two weeks try to get eight hours of good, quality sleep each night. Yes, each person's sleep needs vary slightly, but eight is a good number to shoot for.

All of these tips - Eat 5, Move 10, Sleep 8 - are meant to be tried for two weeks before you move on to a more established healthy lifestyle plan. But there's nothing wrong with continuing this quick start for longer periods. Consider trying other reputable diet and exercise plans offered by the American Heart Association and government agencies. The point is to get started with something and keep at it.

Just get moving and have a great day!

barbarajlaird.zumba.com
gettingfitwithbj@gmail.com