You had a strenuous workout session. Every inch of your rock-solid powerhouse aches, you smell sweat and you want to gulp down your well-deserved meal. The last thing that you want to do is to stay in the gym for another 20 minutes to perform a few stretching moves that don’t seem to hold any significance as compared to your crushing workout.
Most gym goers can relate to this idea. But, If you think about it technically we are often too eager to warm-up our bodies before a workout. However, when it’s time for cooling down, its importance is often overlooked. Skipping a cool-down stretching session means that you abandon your workout without reaching the finish line. You miss out the benefits that a complete fitness regime can give you, which you don’t want too, after going through so much pain.
What Does Stretching Have In Store For You?
Most of you must be thinking about your aching hamstrings. Though studies on post-workout stretches indicate a meagre relevance of these moves to healing long-term muscle soreness, they have plenty of other benefits especially for mobility. Stretching increases range of motion which helps in targeting your different parts during an exercise to fullest.
Stretching also lessens the impact of injuries and tendon overload, which helps all trainers’ especially professional runners. These seemingly simple moves lead to decreased cramps and body stiffness.
Stretches To Help Soothe Sore Body Areas
Listed below are some stretches that aid in recovering or avoiding most common training impacts on lats, chest, shoulders and calves.
Chest And Shoulder Stretch
This stretch focuses on your stiff chest and shoulders or anterior deltoid. Hold your hands together taking them to your back. Raise them at the back until your chest and shoulders feel the stretch. Stay in this position for half a minute. Perform 3-5 reps.
Lats Stretch
Place one arm at the back of your head and stretch your triceps. When doing so, place your other arm on the elbow of the arm behind the hand and apply a gentle pressure to the elbow to experience a maximum stretch. Keep stretching for about half a minute, and then switch sides. Perform the stretch for 3 times.
Hamstring Stretch
Spreading your legs in V-shape sit down on the floor. Hold your right foot and try reaching out for your right leg by bringing your chest close to it. Stay in this position for half a minute and then perform the same move with the opposite leg. While stretching keep your body’s comfort intact. Perform 3 reps for each leg.
Shoulder Stretch
Shoulders are the most vulnerable body part after a strenuous workout. Soothe your aching shoulders by performing this stretch. Hold a towel with both hands in front of your shoulders with a tight grip. Then slowly start raising your hands in a manner that your arms are stretched to the fullest going all the way to the back. When the towel is at the back of your shoulders, remain in that position for half a minute keeping your hands close together. Repeat 3 times.
Lower Leg Stretch
Stand on a flat surface with your one foot (left in this case) in front of the other. Hold a chair or some other object for support. Now bent your left leg while keeping your rear leg straight. Slowly moving your hips forward while keeping your lower back straight, shift your body’s weight on the bent left leg. Gently stretch your calf while keeping the foot of the rear leg on the floor with all the toes pointing straight ahead and turned in a bit. Remain in this position for half a minute. Make 3 reps for each leg.
