Exercise Essentials: Basic Lower Body Stretches
Submitted by Fit and Female Blog
We all know we should stretch, it’s good for us…blah, blah, blah…but most of us don’t do as much of it as we know we should. I’m as guilty of it as the next person. Sometimes when I’m racing to get my workout done, I’ll skip the stretching to save time only to wake up the next day feeling tight at a drum. Invariably I regret that I didn’t take those five extra minutes to do something.
Stretching is so important because it:
- Improves your ability to move
- Improves your posture
- Improves circulation speeding recovery after exercise
- Relieves stress
- Can help improve or prevent injuries
Best of all it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You don’t need to stretch all 656 muscles in the body every single time. Just a few minutes spent on the areas where you tend to be the tightest will pay HUGE dividends. Check out this video I did on some of the key lower body stretches that most of us should be doing on a regular basis.
Have you been working out for years or have you just recently started exercising? Have a thought about diet or anything related to fitness? Register on Female Fitness Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Stretching after a long day feels amazing and I have all of my clients stretch at the end of workouts. For anyone that doesnt know how to get started stretching I even recommend purchasing a yoga dvd. It does wonders.
June 9th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
If stretching is part of your routine, and you’ve got an mp3 player, check out Stretch Secretary. The site is free and doesn’t require any sort of registration. You just enter your routine and download an mp3 that talks you through your stretches. That way you can let your mind wander without worrying about counting.