Improving your flexibility is not only important in term of preventing injury, it’s also needed for those interested in gaining strength and size. The truth is, most of us spend most of the day at a desk or on the couch without proper posture At The Method personal training gym in Durham, we teach our clients that improved flexibility can lead to better posture and a better stage to show off the toned physique you’ve been working so hard at building! Flexibility allows you to get a more effective workout by providing your body with a more full-range of motion so you can squat further and lift higher.
Here are 3 of our Durham personal trainer’s favorite tips to improve flexibility before, during, and after your workout:
- Warm Up with Dynamic Stretching Before Working Out: Many of us don’t warm up before we workout. However, research shows that starting your workout with some dynamic stretching, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, side lunges, and jumping jacks, can warm your body up and prime your body to better tackle your workout.
- Get a Full Range of Motion During Your Workout: During your strength training, perform each exercise through a full range of motion to ensure flexibility benefits. Going to full-depth on squats, for example, helps to build hip flexibility. A good place to start is working at full ranges of motion with lighter weights.
- End Your Workout with Static Stretching: Post-workout stretching helps lengthen and relieve muscles that were tightened up during a lifting or workout session. Stretching muscles after a workout can ensure an improved range of motion and tension relief.
Our Durham personal trainers say that incorporating stretching and proper technique before, during, and after your workout is a simple way to improve your functional movement and range of motion. Side perk: stretching can feel pretty fantastic after all of the stress and tension we put our bodies through!
So Durham.. Get stretching! Stay tuned for more tips from our personal trainer in Durham!