Yoga and pilates are both great exercises for stretching your body!

Stretching is one of the most overlooked parts of the average person's fitness routine. What we often fail to realize is that by making stretching a part of our exercise program, we gain huge benefits!

Benefits of Stretching

• Helps to prevent and fix muscular imbalances
• Helps to prevent Injuries from exercise
• Helps the body to perform exercise more efficiently
• Strengthens muscles
• Improves circulation
• Helps to create better posture
• Can help to ease lower back pain
• Increases flexibility
• Increases body's range of motion

When stretching, move slowly. Do not bounce! You want to feel the stretch within the muscle you are targeting and not the joint. In the last decade or so, there has been further discussion over whether or not it is better to stretch before you begin an exercise or after.

Before you stretch, you want to warm up your muscles. You can do this by gently jogging in place for five minutes, or even walking at a very moderate pace, (a speed you do not find too challenging) for a few minutes.

After you've warmed up, you can stretch. Do each stretch slowly, and try to hold it for 20 to 30 seconds; you want to feel the stretch deep within the muscle. While it is important to push yourself to get the deepest stretch possible, you do not want to do it to the point you actually feel pain.

When starting out a stretching program, you may feel very stiff or inflexible. Have no fear. Flexibility takes time. Keep at it. As time goes on (it could be as short as a week), you'll begin to feel yourself reach further and maintain a better stretch. When you are through with exercising, it is important to take a few minutes and stretch again.

You do not need to always do the exact same stretches. You just want to make sure that you choose to do a stretch that focus on the muscles you just used.

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