How To Stretch Before a Workout

How To Stretch Before a Workout Should You Stretch Before or After a Workout? ChaptersWhat Are the Benefits of Stretching Before or After a Workout?The Health Benefits of StretchingHow To Stretch Before WorkoutHow Best to Stretch - Before a Workout or AfterLearn How To Stretch Before a Workout With These Videos10 Tips for a Full Body Stretch After a WorkoutRemember your PE classes at school, where your sports teacher told you all to stretch after a session?Let’s be honest - you often pretended, didn’t you?And yet, it’s an essential part of any exercise routine!Now that you are older, you understand the importance of stretching exercises after workout routines or any sort of athletic performance - whether you are a beginner or a professional.Whether after an aerobic exercise, a Pilates session or a spot on the treadmill, whether you are exercising to lose weight or get fit: stretching is paramount!But careful: to avoid injuring yourself, you need to know how to stretch correctly, for how long and with what intensity!In this article, come and discover the advantages of having a personal trainer to prepare your fitness program, exercises and stretching routines. Having a personal coach will help keep you from injuries, even when stretching.correct posture and that the right muscles are being warmed up and stretched.In fact, some types of stretches will not activate the right muscles if they are not done correctly. Your personal trainer will need to be very aware of your movements to make sure you are not injured.During your training sessions, stretching should be taken as seriously as the cardio exercises, weights or jogging training you are there to do.Some simple stretches to incorporate into your daily routineHere is a list of stretches for specific body parts:For your calves: facing a bench, put your left foot on the back of the bench or chair, lift your arms up to the sky, as high as possible. Hold the pose for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch feet to stretch your other calf muscle.For the groin: squat down with your hands on the fl oor, then extend your right leg towards the side, keeping your right foot flat on the ground. Do this one leg at a time.For your knees and forward thighs: stand up with your feet together, raise your heel toward your buttocks then take your foot with your right hand and pull on your foot until it touches your butt. Hold for 30 seconds. Careful, your bent knee should stay next to the left knee.For your buttocks: sit down and stretch your legs out in front of you. Bend the right knee, pull it towards you and place your right foot on top of your left thigh.   Move your head left and right (this accentuates the benefits of the stretch). Push on your knees to notice the benefits of this pose.This exercise stretches the knees and relaxes the muscles in your legs. Photo on VisualHunt.comHow Best to Stretch - Before a Workout or AfterStretching with a sports trainer or sports therapist is a good idea. He or she will be there to assure injury prevention and make sure you stay pain-free.One t hing is sure: you should never stretch before warming up! It serves no physiological purpose.The benefits of stretching can’t be felt unless the muscles are warmed up first. Warming up makes it easy to relieve muscle tightness while preventing tears in the muscles or ligaments by raising your body temperature and improving circulation.After a workout session, it’s a good idea to do passive stretches to relax the muscles you used. A stretch routine ensures that tight muscles are relaxed to minimise the trauma of lifting weights, running a marathon or endurance training.When stretching, make sure your movements are precise and pay attention to what you are doing. A personal trainer can help you with that.So how can you stretch correctly with the help of your personal trainer?Your stretching session should last about 10 minutes.Gradually ease into the stretch pose; don’t strain yourself. Use only your own body weight. Your personal trainer will tell you when you have stretched fa r enough - the stretches should not feel painful.Always stretch on the exhale - your personal trainer will teach you mindful breathing methods.Calm your mind and avoid hectic movements. Stretch slowly and evenly.For stretching exercises on the floor, close your eyes. This encourages muscular relaxation and lets you concentrate on what your body is telling you.Always hold on to something during stretches that need you to balance on one foot. Losing your balance can strain your muscles rather than relaxing them.Take 10 or 15 seconds after your stretching session to relax your limbs. Do meditation or mindfulness exercises, or simply listen to some music to cool down and come back into the here-and-now.Your personal trainer can show you how to avoid injury when stretching - for example with the aid of fitness bands if you are not very flexible yet. Photo credit: bwanderd on VisualHunt.comListen to your personal trainer and don’t hesitate to ask him or her questions about how or why a certain stretch is done a certain way. They will also help you measure your progress and tell you how best to achieve your fitness goals.Learn How To Stretch Before a Workout With These VideosThe Internet has millions of videos all eager to teach you how to stretch.Indeed, when exercising outside of your personal training sessions, you might want to use a video to help you with your stretches.Like a personal trainer, the video trainer will be able to demonstrate the different movements to help you stretch.Here are some  sites that offer online personal training:Doctissimo: they have their own YouTube channel; different trainers offer various exercises and of course stretches. The exercises are presented in a very detailed manner.Coach Fitness: offers stretching, yoga and relaxation exercises. This website offers online stretching videos with dozens of exercises and methods for cooling down after a sports workout.But remember: video or virtual trainers can’t offer feedback!10 Tips for a Full Body Stretch After a WorkoutBy now, you know it: stretching is invaluable for your muscle’s recuperation.If anyone knows the benefits of stretching, it's a cat. Photo credit: JKleeman on Visual huntHere are 10 tips to help you stretch properly, alone or in a personal coaching session:Dress properly. Just like doing sports, stretching requires comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.Listen to your personal trainer: follow his advice and ask him if you don’t understand it.Let your personal trainer know if you are hurting.Breathe deeply: diaphragm breathing helps you relax and loosen your body.Drink: it’s important to stay hydrated, even when stretchingDon’t strain yourself: flexibility will come with time, but not if you injure yourself!Alternate exercises: to cool down and relax your muscles after a sports session, you can alternate between stretching, yoga or relaxationStretch your whole body: your personal trainer will know how to stretch every muscle in your bodyDon’t hesitate to consult an osteopath or physical therapistMake sure the environment encourages relaxation - listen to calming music rather than hip hop, try to stretch and relax in a place without too much noise.Choose your playlist for your exercises.Track your fitness progress as you train.