Stretch!

  People ask me all the time why they’re stiff, why they have so many knots, why they’re hunched over.

   “Do you stretch ever?” They shift their eyes.

   “Sometimes…”

    Yeah... do it more, please! I’m often met with the excuse, “I hate yoga”. Well, you don’t have to take a yoga class to stretch, silly! But I recommend it because a) yoga stretches pop up in so many other fitness classes and in at-home DVDs as a cool-down and b) If you take one class, you can learn the correct posture so you don’t hurt yourself. I’m sure you can find a few poses for each muscle group that you don’t hate. Plus, you don’t have to be a contortionist to take a yoga class, contrary to popular belief. Any GOOD yoga instructor will tell you to do what YOU can do and over time, you’ll see your stretches getting deeper. I have experienced a boot-camp type yoga instructor who told people that their stretching wasn’t good enough and even laughed at people! If you find yourself in a class like that, I encourage you to leave and find a more compassionate yogi who inspires you. Also if you don't want to take a class, I recommend DVDs by Gaiam featuring Rodney Yee. The man is a genius.

   Increasing your flexibilty is important because your body will function better in your day-to-day life- not just when you’re working out. When you reach back in your car to get your seatbelt, when you squat down to pick something up properly, when you reach up to grab a mug from your cabinet. If you don’t stretch, the likelihood of knots building up in your muscles increases and so does the opportunity to become injured. Soon you could start feeling pain when you move a certain way and you’ll stop moving that way to avoid the pain. Your body will try to compensate for the lack of doing that particular motion, which can throw off your balance and lead to other injuries over time. Then you get old, you need hip and shoulder replacements and you think to yourself, “Dang, I wish I listened to Niki Webber”.

   Do keep in mind that over-stretching can be a bad thing and if you have a serious muscle injury, don’t make it worse- see a doctor. You may just need a few massages to work out what you have going on, or you may need something more. Either way, talking to a doctor that you trust is imperative in these situations. Also, stretching will NOT prevent the soreness you may feel the days following a tough workout. It WILL help prevent knots and muscle injuries so you can keep up with your beastmode workouts. 

  To conclude, workout + water + stretching = winning! Have a fantastic-elastic day!