Stretching: Do’s and Don’ts

Stretching is an essential part of daily life. In order to have a balanced workout, or begin a healthy day, stretching is the easiest way toward feeling comfortable in your own skin. However, not everyone's an expert in understanding how or when they should stretch. Whether it’s overstretching or simply not knowing how to manage your stretching schedule, it can be very confusing. Not to worry, we’re going to go over the do’s and don’ts of how to stretch so that you feel most rejuvenated.

Do: Wear Appropriate Clothing

It goes without saying that in order to stretch, you have to be able to move your body. Wearing clothes like jeans, pajamas, or shirts with buttons limits your ability to stretch, and it can cause your clothing to tear. The amount of times we’ve seen people at the gym in these clothes is staggering. Instead, wear comfortable, stretchy clothing such as activewear or sweatpants and sweatshirts. They will give you plenty of breathing room, and room for your arms and legs to move about.

Don’t: Stretch Before Every Single Workout Activity

Stretching isn’t just a warm-up activity. It should be done for certain exercises, such as with weight lifting. However, you do not need to stretch at the beginning of every workout because sometimes your muscles are considered “cold”. In order to warm them up, you have to do some form of activity to get them going for the day. This includes walking, jogging, or light exercises like jumping jacks or jump rope. Whatever you choose to do, give yourself time for your muscles to relax and feel energized and warm. Now that your muscles are all ready, it’s time to stretch before doing an intense workout activity.

Do: Plan How You’re Going to Stretch First

You should plan your stretch based on the type of workout or sports related activity you’re going to choose. If you know that you’re going to be working with your arms or legs that day, focus on those areas the most. Make a list of the stretches you feel comfortable doing, and plan out how many seconds of each you will spend on them. Just like in weight lifting, repetitions are good at maintaining consistency. Lastly, stretching goes hand-in-hand with breathing, so be sure to practice breathing while stretching in order to achieve great results.

Don’t: Push Yourself Too Far

Just like how with cardio, more sweat doesn’t mean more weight lost, the same can be said about pain and stretching. If you’re stretching and you are pushing yourself to feel more tension that you can withstand, this is actually not a good thing. Stretching in a way that causes pain can cause problems with your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It’s best to go at a comfortable rate that you can handle. Every single person is different, so don’t try to meet their standards. Instead, focus on what you can do, and try to push yourself only in small ways after you see progress.

Do: Stretch Before Bed Time

We’ve already talked at length about planning your stretches from before your workout. However, there are numerous benefits for stretching before bed time. Some studies have concluded that they are great for circulation, which regulates heartbeat, and when you go to sleep you want to ease all of your tension. It can also be great for catching up on sleep, and even ease pain you might be feeling in your body. This would include muscles, your back/spine, and your legs. Just stretching for around half an hour can help regulate your body more. Much like how you partake in stretching before doing physical activities, you have to do it on a regular basis if you want to achieve those results.

When it comes to stretching, it can be a little tricky maintaining the balance of doing too much, or too little. As long as you keep on stretching when necessary, it will be easy to find the results you desire. In all, stretching is a very helpful activity that can bring many benefits, but if you misuse them, you could find yourself feeling a lot of pain. Make sure you’re following these do’s and don’t so that you can have the best workout of your life!

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