Who doesn’t want to become physically fit? Almost every person tries one thing or other to go fit from fat. The issue is, in modern days when sedentary lifestyle has become so familiar, achieving fitness has not remained such an easy thing. Even the simple cardiovascular exercises are not enough to achieve fitness goals, and one needs to go the extra mile for making it work.
It is true that following a strict fitness regime requires a lot of commitment, but one also needs to have relevant knowledge. Very often people think that every physical exercise they take is enough to make them gain fitness, but that is indeed not the case.
It is not possible for someone to hit the gym, regularly do some workout and expect things to work. It merely requires some knowledge about kind of exercises and stretching. While there are different types of exercises and it is not necessary to know about all of them, people must have an idea of what characterizes static stretching. Such knowledge is also essential to avoid any possible injury and correctly follow a fitness regime.
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What Is Static Stretching
Stretching is more like a warm-up exercise. It has two broader types, one is static stretching, and the other is dynamic stretching. When we talk about the purpose of stretching as a warm-up exercise, then we usually refer to the static stretching.
As the name indicates, static exercise is more about contracting and relaxing a body part without making it move much. One can do it with the help of support or without it. Very often the act of contracting the upper body during work is also a static stretching. It just warms up the body. But, this type of exercise is not only used for warm-up but also for relieving pain and as physiotherapy option in the medical field.
While using for health purposing or relieving pain, one must do stretching upon the recommendation of doctors only.
Now let’s discuss some dynamics of the static stretching.
It is all about Contracting and Relaxing the Body
Usually, stretching means contracting the body for 10 to 20 seconds and then relaxing it. But, this definition only describes what novice users should do. In later stages, people can also increase the duration and do stretching for 60 seconds too. But it all depends upon the purpose of stretching and the kind of person who is doing it. Very often over stretching can lead to a muscle pull.
How Effective Is Stretching
Stretching is a perfect warm-up exercise for those who don’t have enough time for cardiovascular activities before starting the tough work out at the gym. They can take time out to do little stretching exercises that take 5-10 minutes but prove useful in warming up the body. Further, static stretching also helps in cooling the body down. One makes sure not to stretch body muscles beyond the tolerable limit, otherwise, it can have some side effects.
Stretching for Fitness
Static stretching is more like a pre and post work out thing. It is not a right exercise. But, there are situations when it directly helps in maintaining body fitness, most notably in yoga postures which are complicated and require a long stretch. Here, very often stretching exceeds its 60 seconds duration but again it is not for everyone. People must know about their body types and must be aware of their bodies’ tolerance level to try something such complicated.
Static stretching is also a lifesaver for those who don’t want to do a tough workout for keeping their muscles active.
