Is Pre-Workout Stretching Really Necessary?

Should you stretch?  Before or after you workout?  Stretching is not an add on to your workout it is part of your workout and should be looked out just like you would any other type of training.  Most people do not stretch and because of it they can find themselves injured and unable to do their activities.

Many people participate in a number of high intensity workouts or sports each year that combine a fast pace with dramatic movements to keep the person toned and in shape. These exercises are very important for a person's overall health, but if a person has not properly prepared for this strenuous activity, then there is a good chance that the person can become injured during the activity. Most health experts recommend a pre-workout stretching session before each period of strenuous activity to reduce the risk of injury to the body by sudden or unexpected movements.

If you have ever watched the beginning of a football game, you will see big, hulking guys in uniforms sitting on the ground attempting to touch their toes in bulky football gear. Likewise, the beginning of any baseball game will have athletes standing outside of the bull pen twisting and bending with baseball bats behind their heads for leverage. These scenes are common because these professional athletes have realized the benefits of pre-workout stretching before the intense running, throwing, catching, and maneuvering that will take place during the game.

How Pre-Workout Stretching Benefits You

Pre-workout stretching can provide many different benefits to a person that does the exercises correctly. This stretching exercise routine should include movements that stretch many areas of the body, either one at a time or multiples at one time, to ensure that all of the muscles are limber and ready to work hard during the exercise that will follow. Stretching the muscles of the legs and the arms are the most important because these are the areas of the body that are most prone to injury during fast paced, high impact activities.

Pre-workout stretching greatly reduces the risk of many different types of injuries that can occur when a person is playing sports, participating in aerobic exercise, or strength training with weights. One of the most common injuries that can be avoided is the pulled muscle, which occurs when the muscle is stiff and cannot bend a certain way without causing great pain. A pre-workout stretching routine solves this problem by helping the muscle to flex in several different directions before the intense exercise is begun, getting the muscles used to the movements before they can become hurt.

Pre-workout stretching routines also reduce the risk that the person will suffer from a torn ligament while participating in the sport or other activity. Torn ligaments are a very painful occurrence that happens regularly during many sporting events and are some of the most difficult to recover from in a quick manner so if a person tears a ligament during the game, they are out of the game for the rest of the day and for a significant period afterward. Stretching the tendons and ligaments of the body with a slow and steady pre-workout exercise routine will make these areas of the body stronger, more flexible, and more resistant to common injuries.