Do We Really Need To Stretch Before Or After Workouts?

Are you the person who finds stretching a waste of time and just works out right away? Well, stretching before doing your regular exercise is not just a froth on your coffee.

Not just before but also even after your work out, some stretching needs to be done. If you think it's not necessary, then you are wrong. There is actually a good reason behind it.

The American College of Sports Medicine says it's a good idea making your body flexible as you age according to WebMD. It is highly recommended to stretch your body muscles at least twice in a week and must be at least 60 seconds duration before doing some exercise or workouts.

Why do we need to stretch before workouts?

Stretching is a way of preparing your muscles for a strenuous activity. It prevents muscle injury caused by a sudden muscle contraction.

There are lesser chances that you'll have muscle sores if you performed some stretching. This is because your muscles become more flexible preventing possible muscle tear.  

According to Greatist, Noam Tamir who is a certified trainer and founder of TS Fitness, said stretching also improves muscle performance especially if you exercise after waking up where your muscles were recently at rest.

Why do we need to stretch after workouts?

Stretching after workouts is not just a way to cool down but also to reset your body muscles that are tightly contracted. Even just a simple touch toes stretching and swinging of arms and body left to right will help.

Not stretching after gym workouts will increase your risk of getting muscle stiffness and muscle pains. For post-workout stretching, it's highly recommended to stretch those muscles that are still tight. This will improve or increases the blood circulation in that area.

Is stretching recommended only during workouts and exercise?

You can do stretching in the office while at work, at home or anywhere. It is recommended especially if you have a long period in a sitting position. Stretching the muscles at your back, waist and legs prevents muscle pains caused by bad posture.