The benefits of stretching are well-known by most gym-goers. In my last blog, I talked about why it’s essential to warm up pre-workout, Now, I'm going to go one step further to say that cooling down and stretching after a workout is just as important to ensure your body stays healthy and happy.
The reason is simple: when we exercise our bodies produce lactic acid which causes our muscles to ache. By cooling down post-workout and stretching we're able to reduce this lactic acid build-up as well as prevent soreness from occurring in the first place! Doesn’t that sound great?
Prevent soreness and improve flexibility
Stretching is important after a workout because it will help your body to cool down, stop lactic acid from building up in your muscles and prevent that post-exercise muscle soreness. Heart.org stresses why a cool down (and warm up to that effect) is so important.) This can be achieved by doing some dynamic stretches (like arm circles) or static stretches where you hold the stretch for a period of time.
The duration of time for stretching after an exercise session varies from person to person but I recommend doing it for at least 10 minutes if not 20 minutes per day. Try to view this time as investing in your body and helping to prevent extreme soreness.
Try to incorporate some sort of light cardio exercise for 5 minutes to get the blood flowing and bring oxygen back to your muscles, then spend 10-15 minutes stretching all of the major muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, calves, groin, hips, and back. Alternatively, you can target just the muscle groups that were worked that day. (ie: just lower body vs upper boday)
Be sure to stretch gently. If a stretch doesn’t feel right or you feel pain then you shouldn’t do that stretch. After stretching has been completed safely, refuel with water and ideally some protein.
Exercise is great for your body, but sometimes it can leave you feeling more sore than you'd like. I encourage you to turn on some music and spend a little time stretching after working out to help to prevent muscle soreness and improve flexibility.