As a person ages, the muscles will tighten and range of motion around your joints will decrease.  This will significantly affect a persons’ active lifestyle, as well as the ability to perform simply day-to-day tasks.  Tasks that used to come naturally, such as bending over to tie a shoelace, or reaching for something high in the closest are now extremely difficult.  Understanding the benefits of, and embarking on a stretching routine will help lengthen muscles, preseve your range of motion, and make daily living much more enjoyable.

A person with good health and fitness will have good cardiovasular endurance, muscular strength, and a limber body as a result of stretching.  Many people often overlook this third component.  Realizing the benefits of stretching is by far the easiest of the three components.  It does not require a large time committment or extreme physical expenditure. 

The benefits of stretching are numerous, here are just a few:

• Increased circulation of blood
• Increased energy, as a result of increased circulation
• Reduced muscle tension
• Greater range of motion
• Enhanced muscle coordination

Try the basic stretching routine below, 3 times a week to reach higher levels of flexibility and overall wellness.

1. Hip Flexor Stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
2. Butterfly stretch – 1 set of 40 seconds
3. Piriformis stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
4. Quadriceps stretch – 2 sets of 45 seconds on each side
5. Hamstring stretch (on raised object) – 1 set of 1 minute on each side
6. Hip Stretch – 2 sets of 45 seconds on each side
7. Straddle split – 2 sets of 1 minute
8. Floor straddle – 1 set of 1 minute
9. Gastrocmenius stretch – 1 set of 1 minute per side
10. Shoulder stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
11. Triceps stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
12. Chest stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
13. Lat stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side
14. Biceps stretch – 2 sets of 20 seconds per side

Hold each stretch at the point of mild tension.  Do NOT bounce.  Try running through this routine two times if time permits.

Stretches found here.

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Matt

Co-Founder at Share It Fitness

Matt has been involved in the fitness industry for over 10 years and has worked with, and helped countless individuals improve their lives. After college, Matt started his fitness career working in the trenches as a personal trainer for a big corporate gym. It was here he saw how impersonal Big Fitness really was. Clients weren't people, they were just sales waiting to be made. After branching out and starting his own personal training business in San Diego, Matt soon developed the idea of Share It Fitness and started our (now highly successful) blog. A fitness junkie himself, Matt knows the importance of incorporating exercise into your life. When he isn't working at Share It Fitness, you can find Matt running, biking, taking yoga, or pumping iron around San Diego.

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