Personal Trainer in Macomb County Explains When to Stretch

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Personal Trainer in Macomb County Explains When to Stretch

Personal Trainer in Macomb County Explains When to Stretch

Our goal at Total Health Systems is to treat any health issues that our clients have when they come to us. We help them with making life adjustments and encourage their well being in an attempt to stop the same problems from coming back in the future. Exercise is a great way to stay healthy, in addition to the other services we provide (nutrition, massage and chiropractic adjustments).

There’s a common thought among many of our patients that a lot of stretching prior to exercise is essential and can even be thought of as your warm up. In spite of this, contrary to this thought, investing an excess amount of time stretching before you start to exercise can really put you at a disadvantage.

Here’s why:

What does it mean to warm up? As we warm up, we are readying our bodies for the exercise or physical activity that we are about to do. A great warm up has its benefits such as:

  • Muscles get warm and the body temperature increases – this will help to enhance the supply of oxygen to the body.
  • Blood movement to the muscles is raised making contraction and relaxation of muscles happen more rapidly.
  • Prepares the mind and body for a more challenging activity.
  • Aides in the risk reduction for injuries.
  • Overall exercise performance is enhanced.
  • The flexibility of tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues is improved.

Suitable warm up activities may include:

  • Calisthenics that will help warm up muscles.
  • Low intensity cardio (ie: walking, jogging, cycling) which assists in increasing the heart rate and temperature of our bodies and also raises blood flow.
  • Full range of motion of the joints that might be used for the exercise or activity.
  • High intensity movements in short bursts.
  • Ballistic stretching for triggering of neural pathways and muscles – readying the muscles for the exercise/activity without making modifications to the length of the muscle.

Stretching concentrates on increasing the range of motion of muscles by lengthening them and the connective tissue. Stretching is just as important as strength, endurance and coordination training and should be developed in a structured exercise program.

The preferred form of stretching is known as static stretching. A static stretch will not activate receptors in our muscles that stimulate contraction because there are no quick movements. This enables the muscles to elongate and achieve a permanent change in the length of the muscle.

The optimum time to complete a stretching routine is when the muscles are already warm because they’re more flexible. Performing stretching without proper warm up will merely increase the temperature of the muscle being stretched. It has been found that stretching can lessen the ability of a muscle to contract for as long as an hour after and this indicates how stretching prior to exercise or physical activity can negatively impact performance.

Are you looking for a personal trainer in Clinton Township, Michigan? Total Health Systems is the place for you! We offer a variety of services including personal training and nutrition.

Personal Trainer in Macomb County Explains When to Stretch

At Total Health Systems, we recognize the value of patient education and we provide articles, just like this one, to assist in education. If you have any more questions concerning stretching or would like to schedule an appointment, please call one of our three locations or visit our website: totalhealthsystems.com

Personal Trainer in Macomb County Explains When to Stretch

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