Discussion
Please be gentle its my first post in here!
Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
Loopyleesa said:
Please be gentle its my first post in here!
Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
Depends on the sort of stretches your doing. If they're dynamic stretches, in other words, your limbs are constantly moving then they're very good pre-exercise. Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
However, if the stretches are static, you hold a certain position for 15 - 30 secs. Then I would recommend you do not do them unless you are correcting muscle imbalances which you're probably not.
The reason is static stretching will desensitise the muscles and make them "weaker" for a period of time.
Edited by GMJ on Thursday 5th August 11:03
Edited by GMJ on Thursday 5th August 11:07
GMJ said:
Loopyleesa said:
Please be gentle its my first post in here!
Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
Depends on the sort of stretches your doing. If they're dynamic stretches, in other words, your limbs are constantly moving then they're very good pre-exercise. Ive recently starting doing a workout DVD, Power of 3 with Davina,
I find it great fun and actually enjoy doing it, but how important are the stretch'es at the beginning and at the end.
I read somewhere that stretching at the beginning wasn't actually that useful, so what's true?
However, if the stretches are static, you hold a certain position for 15 - 30 secs. Then I would recommend you do not do them unless you are correcting muscle imbalances which you're probably not.
The reason is static stretching will desensitise the muscles and make them "weaker" for a period of time.
Edited by Smashed on Friday 6th August 07:52
Stretch - every morning and every evening. Do it for a while and then you'll notice very quickly the days that you don't. In itself it'sa great way of waking up gently. Take it easy. If you've got the space as well, get a £5 yoga mat from tesco and an exercise ball and use that as well. Nothing feels ag great as a freely stretched back!
(A few years back I bought a spikey exercise ball from Tesco. I'm not sure if they do them any more, but by god it's good at finding and sorting out the knots!)
(A few years back I bought a spikey exercise ball from Tesco. I'm not sure if they do them any more, but by god it's good at finding and sorting out the knots!)
The problem with generalised static stretching is if you don't have a good posture (and most of us don't) then you will end up stretching muscles that really need shortening/strengthening.
Classic example the person that sits hunched over their desk all day. Given time that person will develop a posture with rounded shoulders amoung other things. Now this person should be stretching the chest muscles (pec minor and major and lats) because thay are tight and shorthened and strengthening mid traps, rhomboids because they have been lengthened.
The last thing you want to be in this case is stretch the already lengthened muscles.
Hope this helps.
Classic example the person that sits hunched over their desk all day. Given time that person will develop a posture with rounded shoulders amoung other things. Now this person should be stretching the chest muscles (pec minor and major and lats) because thay are tight and shorthened and strengthening mid traps, rhomboids because they have been lengthened.
The last thing you want to be in this case is stretch the already lengthened muscles.
Hope this helps.
Edited by GMJ on Friday 6th August 09:31
Edited by GMJ on Friday 6th August 09:31
GMJ said:
The problem with generalised static stretching is if you don't have a good posture (and most of us don't) then you will end up stretching muscles that really need shortening/strengthening.
Classic example the person that sits hunched over their desk all day. Given time that person will develop a posture with rounded shoulders amoung other things. Now this person should be stretching the chest muscles (pec minor and major and lats) because thay are tight and shorthened and stregthening mid traps, rhomboids because they have been lengthened.
The last thing you what to be in this case is stretch the already lengthened muscles.
Hope this helps.
interesting point! I never knew this.Classic example the person that sits hunched over their desk all day. Given time that person will develop a posture with rounded shoulders amoung other things. Now this person should be stretching the chest muscles (pec minor and major and lats) because thay are tight and shorthened and stregthening mid traps, rhomboids because they have been lengthened.
The last thing you what to be in this case is stretch the already lengthened muscles.
Hope this helps.
Just in case any body is interested posture can be determined from a side on view and drawing a line down the middle of your body.
This line should, if you have perfect posture, pass through the body as follows
Through the lobe of the ear
Through the shoulder
Slightly behind the centre of the hip joint
Slightly in front of the centre of the knee
Slightly in front of the ankle joint.
The closer you are to this ideal posture the better. Generally, postural problems are caused by muscle imbalances like the one I described above.
This line should, if you have perfect posture, pass through the body as follows
Through the lobe of the ear
Through the shoulder
Slightly behind the centre of the hip joint
Slightly in front of the centre of the knee
Slightly in front of the ankle joint.
The closer you are to this ideal posture the better. Generally, postural problems are caused by muscle imbalances like the one I described above.
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