Many people skip before and after training. They consider it an unnecessary waste of time. However, stretching is a very important part of any workout. It not only prepares your muscles for work and exertion, but improves flexibility, increases blood flow to the muscles, which stimulates their performance and protects them from cramps and pain afterwards. Very often, muscle soreness is due to the lack of adequate stretching before and after training. Stretching reduces stress in the body, calms the mind and prevents injury.
What are the most common stretching mistakes?
Doing static stretching
Many people mistakenly believe that static stretching is enough to warm up. However, it actually reduces muscle performance, reducing strength and endurance. A partial and insufficient warm-up can increase muscle fatigue and reduce the muscles' ability to cope with the load.
You think that if you don't feel pain when you stretch, then you don't do it well
This is a big mistake that can seriously harm you. While stretching you should not feel pain. In fact, if pain occurs it is a sign that you should stop the tension. The purpose of stretching is to prepare the muscles for work, not to overload them and cause pain and tension.
You don't hold enough when stretching
Another common mistake in stretching is not holding the muscles in position enough. For a stretch to be successful it must last at least a few seconds in a position. Otherwise, you're just tagging the movement without benefiting you.
Hold your breath while stretching
Breathing is extremely important when stretching and exercising. It supplies the necessary amount of oxygen to the muscles and tissues, necessary for their work under load. Breathing is also important for the delivery of nutrients to every point in the body. When stretching or exercising, remember to breathe properly. Holding the breath prevents the body from functioning normally.
Stretching an injured muscle
You have to be very careful when straining certain muscles. For many different reasons, muscle fibers can be injured. If you have an injured muscle it is recommended that you do not stretch or stress it until it has recovered from the previous strain or injury.
