Is stretching part of your routine?

Too many times, I see people working out very hard and not stretching their muscles after their workout. They play pickleball or basketball, run or lift weights and sit down afterwards and fail to stretch the muscles. So why should you stretch regularly?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends to do flexibility exercises at least two or three days per week to improve range of motion (ROM). Each stretch should be held for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat them so that each muscle is stretched for at least 60 seconds (2 x30 or 4×15 or 6×10 seconds). You should stretch to the point of discomfort, not pain. Not only stretching your muscles makes you feel good, it keeps them flexible, healthy and strong. To maintain a good ROM of the joints, you have to include flexibility training. As most of you have found out personally, when you don’t, your muscles become short and tight. It can affect your daily living and when exercising with tight and short muscles, you can increase your chance of injury. Especially the older you get, the tougher your tendons (what attaches the muscle to the bone) become.

So where do you begin? After exercising, at least stretch the muscles you have worked. If you don’t like to stretch on your own, a yoga or stretch class might be the key for you. It focuses on flexibility, balance and strength. The instructor will guide you through a routine which concentrates on the body, mind and spirit. If you like to stretch on your own, the following stretches are easy enough and very effective.

Before a stretch routine, always make sure your muscles are warmed up. Again, hold your stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, making it 60 seconds total. Make sure you do each side.

• Stand or sit tall — turn head towards your right. Hold, back to middle, then left. This helps neck flexibility.

• Stand or sit tall, now keep shoulders where they are and bring ear slowly towards shoulder, but not touch. This helps with side neck and trapezius flexibility.

• Stand or sit tall, reach with left arm tall (next to ear) and over towards the right side. Repeat with the other side. This helps with shoulder and side flexibility.

• Stand or sit tall, bend the arm behind the head. Support with other arm. This helps triceps flexibility.

• Facing a wall, put hands on wall, put one foot back and push heel on the floor. This helps calf flexibility.

• Sit on chair or on floor, one leg is extended, one bent with bottom foot to inside straight leg or bend while seated. Reach towards your straight leg, pull toes towards you. This helps with hamstring calf flexibility.

• Stand tall, hold on for balance bend other leg and grab ankle (use strap or towel if you can’t hold ankle). Knees are almost on same level, now push hip forward. This helps with quadriceps (front upper leg) flexibility.

• Stand tall, now reach up with both arms as tall as you can. It lengthens everything and feels so good! Any muscle that feels tight, stretch it! Go to discomfort, hold the stretch long enough and be determined. Add flexibility to your current routine and see and feel the improvements.

Ester H. Marsh is director of healthy living at J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.