What is happening....and....Why stretch?!?!?!?

In order to understand stretching, you first need to understand a little more about how the body works on the inside.


After your first couple of productive (and incredibly healthy) workouts, you have most likely experienced a mild to moderate amount of muscle soreness. The aches and pains acquired from working out are referred to as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is actually your muscle fibers repairing themselves after vigorous exercise.


Think of a scar. When a scar heals, it is about ten times stronger than the area before the scar existed. From the point of healing on, the area has re-enforced itself with a sort of protective shield.


The protective shield of a scarred area of skin is very similar to the repair you body undergoes for torn muscle fibers. In-fact, tearing muscle fibers by lifting weights is the number one way to re-enforce (strengthen) your muscles.


It is important to include a good stretch after each and every workout! When muscles in the body begin to get stronger from constant rebuild and repair, they start to tighten and constrict areas around the bone as well as around the joints. By stretching, you are loosening the tightened muscles, allowing joints to maintain a Full Range of Motion (Full-ROM).


The importance of maintaining an ideal ROM stems from the importance of adequate mobility and longevity of the entire body! It is recommended to stretch for at least 5 minutes after each workout for ideally healthy maintenance.

This workout-planet stretching routine is a great habit for you to get into. It will stretch the entire body and will take up the entire 5 minutes. Simply print it out and take it to the gym with until you have it memorized. It will also be good practice to do this routine on your days off from exercise. (It will keep you limber, and keep you in the habit!!)