Stretching

 I get this question asked a lot.  Should I stretch before or after a workout or do I need to stretch?  

It's a good idea to stretch, says the American College of Sports Medicine. They recommend stretching  each of our major muscle groups at least two times a week for at least 60 seconds per exercise.

A warm-up of the muscles before you start exercising is also a good idea.  The best time to do a nice stretch is at the end of the workout.  Stretching helps you stay flexible so you can do crazy fun stuff as you age.  I like to do traditional stretching with a little bit of yoga after I have a great workout in the pool or on land.

I think about muscles in each part of the body so I don't forget to stretch something.  I like to stretch my

  1. back 
  2. sides 
  3. neck  
  4. forearms and wrists  
  5. triceps
  6. chest
  7. buttocks
  8. groin (adductors)
  9. thighs (quadriceps and abductors)
  10. calves
  11. shins
  12. hamstrings
You can find diagrams to do some of these exercises on credited websites.  My favorite stretching is the cat and cow for the back.  For sides, reach to the side and then into the front for the back and calves.  My neck is holding it to the side and then looking under my armpit.  My arms I like holding them across and holding the elbow with the other hand to reach over my head.  I also like to do the dancer stretch.  Also, big circles with the legs help with the hips. 

I recommend taking a credited class in person or online to learn how to get a good stretch.  You can always come to one of my classes.  Obviously, you can't do all of these stretches in water but a lot you can.



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