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Stretching a point
Stretching not only eases your joints effortlessly into exercise, it also directly improves your posture, and it's one of the easiest ways to boost energy and alertness for peak performance.
According to Christine Body, lecturer in exercise physiology at Portsmouth University, 'Stretching prepares the body's nervous system, increases the temperature of muscles and, in this way, helps prevent damage. If you don't warm up before exercise, the muscles are likely to tear. Look upon stretching as a muscle conditioning exercise.'
Good flexibility is as important a part of fitness as stamina: muscles must be strong but they also have to be long. Yoga, t'ai chi and Pilates all use stretching as the basis for their workouts. Advocates rave about the supple, toned and streamlined body that can result. Stretching can do a lot more for your figure than aerobics.
However, body control and Pilates teacher Samantha Robinson warns that you should never feel pain when stretching. 'Concentrate on stretching right into the muscle. If you feel the stretch more in the joint area, you could be putting stress on the ligaments, so stop, realign your body and start again,' she says.
To have any effect on the muscle, you need to hold the stretch for around 10 to 15 seconds. The more regularly you stretch, the better you become at judging how far to take your body. Aim to increase the duration of your stretches, so that you are eventually able to hold them for up to 30 seconds. This is the point at which muscles start to develop and lengthen.
Try these daily stretches for a more relaxed life:
The easy neck stretch
Stand with your back straight, chest lifted and abdominal muscles tucked in. Tilt your hips slightly forward and place your feet a hip-width apart, bending your knees slightly. Relax your shoulders and keep your head in line with your spine. Slowly drop your left ear towards your left shoulder without moving the shoulder and hold the stretch. Repeat, dropping your right ear to the other shoulder.
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