Stretching es Muy Bueno!

Building muscle mass and losing weight are both positive outcomes of working out. Something that can prevent you from reaching your goals is injury. I cannot stress enough the importance of stretching. Here is what stretching can do for you:

·  Reduce muscle tension

·  Increase range of movement in the joints

·  Enhance muscular coordination

·  Increase circulation of the blood to various parts of the body

·  Increase energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)

Here are some helpful tips before, while, and after stretching:

·  Warm up first
Stretching muscles when they're cold increases your risk of pulled muscles. Warm up by walking while gently pumping your arms, or do a favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.

·  Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds

It takes time to lengthen tissues safely. Hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds — and up to 60 seconds for a really tight muscle or problem area. That can seem like a long time, so wear a watch or keep an eye on the clock to make sure you're holding your stretches long enough. For most of your muscle groups, if you hold the stretches for at least 30 seconds, you'll need to do each stretch only once.

·  Don't bounce
Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears (microtears) in the muscle, which leave scar tissue as the muscle heals. The scar tissue tightens the muscle even further, making you even less flexible — and more prone to pain.

·  Focus on a pain-free stretch
If you feel pain as you stretch, you've gone too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch.

·  Relax and breathe freely

·  Don't hold your breath while you're stretching

·  Stretch both sides
Make sure your joint range of motion is as equal as possible on each side of your body

·  Stretch before and after activity
Light stretching after your warm-up followed by a more thorough stretching regimen after your workout is your best bet.!

For more tips or if you have any questions, please go to www.zakbrownfitness.com to learn more