Stretching might not be the most exciting part of your workout, but it’s one of the most important! Tight muscles can cause undue strain on your joints during normal daily function. As we age, our muscles get shorter and less elastic, so it’s important to take an active role in maintaining and improving the length of our muscles.
Incorporating flexibility work into your fitness routine is just as important as strength and cardio work because it helps reduce tightness and makes your workouts more efficient and safer. Stretching is a big component of keeping your muscles flexible, strong and healthy, and it also helps you maintain range of motion in your joints as well as protecting you from strains and muscle damage.
Hamstring Stretches
Your hamstring muscles travel from your pelvis to the back of each knee, and help to flex your knee and extend your hip. While tight hamstrings are pretty common, there are many easy exercises that help to increase hamstring length. Here are several easy stretches you can do at home or work.
Quadricep Stretches
Quadricep injuries are much more common than people realize. Making up the front of your thigh, your quads help you stand, walk, push off, run, lift and bend your knees. Regularly stretching your quads helps to counter tightened muscles and protects your knee joints from injury. Try these quick stretches to keep your quads healthy and flexible.
Calf Stretches
Your calf muscle runs down from behind your knee to the back of your heel. Tightness in this muscle can cause lower extremity repetitive strain injury, planar fasciitis and Achilles tendon tears, so it’s important to take care of them. If you notice your calf muscles are tight, try adding these simple exercises to your daily routine.
To reap the full benefits of these exercises, make sure you’re holding your stretches for 30 seconds each. Don’t bounce, as this can cause injury. It’s normal to feel some tension while stretching, but you should not be in any pain. If you have pain with these stretches, you might have an injury or damage in the tissue. Stop stretching that muscle and consult with your doctor.
Improving your flexibility and mobility isn’t hard; it just takes time. Incorporating stretching into your daily routine will help keep your legs moving freely and fully.
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