Creating a Stretch Routine

Often when starting a stretch routine, it is common to not know how long to hold each stretch, how many times each stretch should be done, or how many times a week we should stretch.

In an article called The Ideal Stretching Routine posted on the Harvard Health blog, a panel of experts from the American College of Sports Medicine came together to help answer these questions. From reviewing studies that had been conducted in regard to stretching, the panel said:

·      Healthy adults should perform flexibility exercises two to three times a week

o   All major muscle groups should be targeted during these exercises

·      Optimal results were seen when a total of 60 seconds was spent on each exercise

o   Not necessarily held for 60 seconds in one go, repetitions can be performed

The MayoClinic article Flexibility: Stretch Your Way to Better Health highlights the importance of ensuring you don’t bounce throughout the stretch. Bouncing gets your muscles out of the stretch position and doesn’t allow them to relax into the stretch.

An article posted on RealBuzz entitled How To Stretch Correctly and Improve Your Overall Flexibility suggest that the ideal stretching routine be based around stretching at the end of a workout program and ensuring that you are relaxing into the stretches and keeping your breathing easy and relaxed while you hold the stretch.

Assisted stretching can easily be implemented into a stretching routine. Having a dedicated time for stretching makes it easy to work into your daily life. Being able to book appointments at the same time with a trained stretch therapist week after week, helps create a routine and easily incorporate stretching into your life.  

Source:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-ideal-stretching-routine