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Fitness Training

Monday, October 29th, 2007 by Carol Subscribe To Our Feed

To avoid muscle and joint injury, it is important to carry out warm up and stretching exercises prior to any workout. But to help further with your workout there are some other things you may wish to do to make it more enjoyable. To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout.

Ok so none of what I have said so far is a secret but you would be amazed how many people do not do it but were you aware that you should also continue this stretching at the end of a workout as the muscles are warm and more flexible. Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility, because although holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body’s flexibility.

The best method to achieve this is to stretch slowly and return to your original position slowly as this will prevent any jerking movements which could cause injury. The way to do this is to maintain the position of a few seconds and then return because it is possible to either strain or pull muscles or joints if you return to the starting position too quickly.

Do not jump from an easy stretching exercise to a hard one, but complete the easiest first and do the hardest last as by this time most of your muscles will be warm and it will make the difficult exercise easier. Injuries to the neck can be common because most people neglect warming it up; the easiest way to carry this out is by using the palm of your hand, alternate placing pressure from on the forehead to the back of the head and then the sides.

If you carry out regular stretching you will be surprised just how flexible your body becomes and it will increase your ability to perform certain training. It is a common sight seeing relative newcomers try to compete with people who are far more advanced but this is never a good idea; just stick to what your body is comfortable with and you will gradually increase you abilities.

Do not expect your body to be able to carry out the same exercises and level of training every time you go to the gym because some days you will have a better workout than others; this is perfectly normal and to be expected. Also, it is advisable that you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days as the muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart; aerobic exercises are those physical activities that require more oxygen for fuel and these include cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming. Music is great to workout with as a regular beat helps when you are doing cardiovascular exercises and with the range of small, lightweight mp3 players available nowadays you don’t have to worry about damaging them.

Although you will need your headphones as not everyone will necessarily appreciate you taste in music. Even if you do not intend to workout, stretching is an excellent way for the body to relax, especially if you find yourself in one position for a great deal of the day.

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