There has been controversy on the effects of stretching before exercising. Exercising consists of warm-ups, work-outs, and cooling down. A major topic on exercising is if stretching is necessary before exercising. I found two sides to the argument, let's see which one you decide is the best.
Stretching Before Working Out:
Stretching before working out can have many benefits to the well-being of your body. It can increase the flow of oxygen. Stretching before working out can increase the oxygen in the blood in order to reduce the risk of muscle tightness. Muscles need to be a sufficient use of oxygen in order to reduce aches and pains. Longer workouts can also be a benefit to stretching before exercising. Stretching helps loosen the muscles and tendons so that you can burn calories for a longer period. Stretching awakens the muscles in your body to provide maximum flexibility, making it easier to work out at a longer pace. Stretching also protects injuries from occurring during your work out. Stretching improves coordination before a work-out which can prevent muscles from ripping or tearing. Lastly, stretching before exercising can improve the energy level of the body. Movement helps the blood flow in muscles. A sufficient amount of blood flow in the brain increases the levels of energy.
No Stretching Before Working Out:
First, stretching is not the same as warming up before a work out. Warming up includes some slight jog, walking, slow cycling, or light aerobics. This warm-up gives your body time to adjust so that the breathing rate, circulation, and heart rate increases to supply blood to the muscles. Stretching does not work in the same way. Stopping a warm-up in order to stretch can cancel out the warm-up. After warming up, if you stop to stretch your body is back at rest making the muscles cold. Also, stretching does not prevent injury. Anybody can get hurt during a vigorous exercise whether or not they stretched before. Now stretching after a work-out is beneficial. It provides flexibility and the relaxation of muscles after a strong exercise routine. It can reduce cramping and eliminate lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up during a work-out which can result in the soreness of muscles. Stretching helps relieve the lactic acid out of the muscles because of the relaxation. Overall, stretching after exercising is a natural process of cooling down the body.
References:
"5 Major Benefits of Stretching Before and After Workouts - :." 5 Major Benefits of Stretching Before and After Workouts - :. Michelle, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
Nichols, Nicole . "4 Reasons to Stop Stretching Before You Exercise." SparkPeople. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
I understand that stretching afterwards is beneficial and I have my own personal preferences when it comes to stretching afterwards, however what is your opinion on stretching before a workout? Why do you think that it's beneficial or not beneficial? Finally, is it based on this information or more personal experience?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think stretching before a work out is not necessary and you should warm up instead. After doing my research, I saw that stretching at a mid warm up cancels out the warm up. It is beneficial to get a good warm up in so that the blood is being supplied to the muscle. This is more based on this information than prior experience.
Delete