The Benefits Of Stretching

If you’re working with a trainer or other fitness pro at your health club, chances are you’ve been told to stretch and warm up before diving into cardio or weight training exercises. It’s also likely that you’ve heard this so many times you’re tired of being told. After all, your workout would go a whole lot faster if you didn’t have to waste precious time on the preliminaries, right?

Wrong! Like it or not, those preliminaries are important. Stretching is vital for helping prevent injuries during workouts. Fail to warm up and you can pull or tear muscles, sprain ankles and cause yourself a wide range of other problems you don’t want to face. The fact is this is a necessary step to help you keep your weight and fitness goals on track.

While it might not be as fun as jumping right into an aerobics class or challenging yourself with weights, stretching does offer a number of benefits that go beyond prepping yourself to exercise. In addition to preventing injury and sparing yourself admonishment from your trainer, stretching can benefit you by:

• Lessening muscle tension – Stretching any time can help you lessen the tension in your muscles and help you relax. Learning how to stretch properly can prevent injuries and reduce your stress any time of the day. Stretching exercises do not have to be limited to the gym alone!
• Increasing your range of motion – This is important for helping prevent injuries during workouts, but it can also boost your overall flexibility all of the time.
• Boosting coordination – The more limber you are from stretching, the more likely it is your coordination will be spot on. Tight muscles can lead to rather awkward movements.
• Increasing circulation – Basic stretching exercises not only loosen the muscles, but they also get the blood flowing. This is important for laying the foundation for a good workout and it’s just good for the body in a general sense.
• Boosting energy – When the blood starts flowing and the heart starts pumping, energy levels increase. Stretching can give you the energy you need to complete a workout routine. It can also be a great pick-me-up in the middle of a long day at work.

While you might not want to admit your trainer is right, stretching and warming up right before workouts is essential for a number of reasons. When you prime your body for a workout, you prevent injuries and better prepare yourself for going the distance in your routine. Plus, learning how to stretch safely can provide you a needed lift out of the gym, too.

Lifting weights is an excellent and proven way to increase muscle tone and strengthen the body. The problem is the routine can wear thin rather fast. If you want to enjoy your workout time even more, consider working with your trainer to come up with a plan to incorporate fun options into your routine.

If it’s your goal to increase muscle tone and strength, but not necessarily bulk up like a bodybuilder, there are tons of options at your disposal that do not call for barbells and dumbbells. When you work with a trainer or other professionals at your health club, chances are you will find it is easy to work some variety into your strength training routine.

When it’s time to set aside the weights for a while, you might want to consider such things as:

• Pilates – Take a class or get a video that shows you the ins and outs of a pilates program. This type of exercise routine involves gentle resistance training that focuses on building flexibility and core strength. While it might not result in pumped biceps, it can help you tone muscles and boost overall strength. Plus, it’s a fun alternative to sitting on the bench!  Olga would love for you to join her class!
• Swimming – Just plain old swimming can help with strength training courtesy of that resistance just mentioned. Mix in a few laps a week to help with toning and strengthening. This activity does tend to impact most major muscle groups, so it provides a fun and refreshing change of pace away from those standard weights.
• Yoga – Take a yoga class if you want to add an interesting twist to your strength training routine. This ancient art does involve muscle toning movements along with intense flexibility training. It’s a unique and fun way to address health through mind, body and spirit.  Check the Group Exercise Schedule for yoga classes at 24/7 Health Club.
• Boxing or kickboxing – This particular sport strikes a nice balance between endurance and strength training. Kickboxing classes can be particularly fun if you are tired of typical routines. The BodyCombat would nicely fit the bill in this departent.
• Kettlebells – Although similar to weights, this type of training can mix things up while also helping to improve endurance and flexibility. Kettlebells are fairly cheap to buy and they can offer adjustable weights so they grow with you as your body strengthens.

Strength training doesn’t have to call for chaining yourself to a weight bench. There are a variety of ways to mix things up and still realize some incredible results. If you’re ready to add fun to your routine, talk to your trainer about incorporating unusual and enjoyable activities into your routine.

Many reducing plans boast quick weight-loss results.  But how do popular weight-loss strategies really measure up? 

Very Low Calorie Diets - Such plans claim to help you lose pounds very quickly.  But severaly limiting calories may deprive your body of essential nutrients and create hunger, making these diets difficult to maintain.  Weight is usually regained once normal eating is resumed.

 Omitting Food Groups – Some fad diets limit your food choices or encourage select foods in large amounts, such as ultra low-fat, low-carb or high-protein plans.  Boredom from limited food choices makes maintenance difficult.  These diets are no more effective at keeping weight off than other plans, according to research.

 Skipping Meals – Going without breakfast or lunch often encourages overeating later in the day.  Typically, dieters who eat 3-plus meals a day and include breakfast are more successful at maintaining weight loss.

 Pills and Gimmicks – Studies show that expensive seminars, pills or prepackaged meals work no better than less costly methods.

What’s Next? Design a permanent eating plan you can live with.  Keep in mind that losing takes using more calories than you consume.  Combine increased activity and eating fewer calories for weight loss that lasts.

 Intake – Keep the emphasis on eating a wide variety of wholesome, unprocessed foods.  Fill up on whole (less refined) grains and 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Low-fat dairy products, legumes, poultry, fish and soy foods are healthful protein choices.  Good idea:  Watch portion sizes and limit caloric drinks.

 Output – With your provider’s okay, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.  Gradually increase activity and be sure you are combining aerobic activity with strength training for total health.  Good Idea:  Gradually increasing to 60-90 minutes of cardio can help you lose pounds.  Most experts recommend a safe weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week.

For healthy foods education and help making a permanent lifestyle change in your relationship with food, speak to one of the Thin & Healthy TOTAL SOLUTIONS team members or request a FREE Metabolism Evaluation today!