Nicole the Fitness Pro Tip of the Week
Stretch to Prevent Injuries
Today, nearly everyone suffers from some type of postural imbalance due to sedentary lifestyles, technological advances, and repetitive movements. Occupations that require sitting for long hours have led to dramatic increases in work related injuries, including lower back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and an increase in obesity rates. Athletes are also plagued by injuries due to overactive or tight muscles. Flexibility Training is an important way to help prevent and treat these types of injuries.
When working out, most people will need some flexibility training in order to safely and effectively perform exercise optimally. People who do not have enough flexibility and joint motion may be at an increased risk of injury and may not be able to achieve their fitness goals until it is corrected. When muscles are tight, the soft tissue must be stretched or elongated in order to allow the joint to have full range of motion. This can be achieved by foam rolling (aka Self Myofascial Release) and/or some form of stretching.
Foam rolling should be performed before and after working out and before stretching in order to break up knots to potentially improve the tissues ability to lengthen through stretching techniques. The proper technique for foam rolling is to roll on foam roller until you find a tender spot, then sustain pressure on that spot for a minimum of 30 seconds.
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