When stretching you are performing a type of exercise that extends the tendons and ligaments when a body part is placed in a certain position. Stretching helps reduce the amount of tension in the muscles and also helps increase the movement in the body. Stretching is needed for improved flexibility because it is important for the muscles to be flexible in order to achieve the maximum performance and to prevent injuries. Flexibility is very important to incorporate in a general fitness program because it allows the body to have a free full range of motion and is a big factor in preventing injuries. Flexibility can also improve an individual’s overall performance tremendously.
Flexibility is also important in a sports-specific setting because an athlete who is more flexible will have a greater amount of movement and ease around the court or field. They will also decrease their risk of any injuries versus an athlete who does not stretch. Studies have shown that coaches prefer dynamic stretching over static because dynamic stretching has been shown to be more effective at decreasing stiff muscles. Stiff muscles is one of the main causes of muscle tears and this is one of the reasons why coaches now incorporate dynamic stretching into their pre-game warmup. Stretching is also used for relaxation and to help with maintaining bodily balance. It also helps with an individual’s overall health and to help maintain proper posture. The two body parts I chose are my legs and arms.
Static stretching is different from dynamic stretching because I seemed more relaxed and stretched more at a slow pace which helped bring down my heart rate after a workout. My arms and legs felt relaxed and cooled down from the intense exercise I had done. Another reason why it was different than dynamic stretching because it was slow and more focused and I was able to concentrate more on my flexibility. Before my workout I tried dynamic stretching on my arms and legs and this was very different compared to static stretching because it was more fast paced and consisted of different types of stretching. With dynamic stretching I was focusing more on leg and arm swings to get warmed up so I could begin my weight training. Everything that I have learned about stretching will help me in my future training endeavors by having the knowledge of the different types of stretching for different types of activities. This will also help me by knowing how important stretching and flexibility is when training to prevent any injuries.
