WHY STRETCH?
I cannot recall the number of times people have come to me with serious injuries, dislocations and stiffness all because they spend days at the gym with little to no stretching. In the 15 years of my fitness career, I am still amazed how experienced athletes will ignore pre and post workout stretches all because they find it boring! Obviously, next to warmup and cardio, stretching is the third of the trinity of boring that people think they can ignore in their quest for the ideal physique. But if you invest 10 minutes in avoiding injury, let me show you some very easy stretch routines that you can do anywhere. No equipment, no straps, no fancy stuff.
1). Get on the mat
Just by getting down on the mat / rug or whatever you prefer you can kickstart your stretch. Start with something easy like reaching for your toes whle sitting at the 90 degrees angle. This will not only stretch your leg and back muscles, but will give you the burn you want in your rear deltoids. My all time favourite.
2). Breathe
This has to be THE most overlooked aspect of stretching. Breathe in when you are stressing, breathe out when going to relaxed pose. Simple as that. Remember that oxygen is the key component of aerobic respiration. And just by accompanying your stretch routine with breathing for 10 minutes will do wonders for your heart (and possibly soul, thought I am not too sure).
3). Focus on the muscle
If its legs day, get a good quad and hamstring stretch by a combination of squats, full bend and reaching for your toes etc. The point is: stretch with a goal in mind. It’s no point if you indulge in full body stretches everyday. Focus on the body part / muscle group you’ve worked out and follow up with a post workout stretch.
About Viktoria
I am a certified trainer, nutritionist and TRX certified fitness specialist. Formerly Ms. Belarus Bikini and in my spare time, I get a bronze tan in Greece. Connect with me on my Instagram @miss_viktoriafit
