Benefits of Stretching (Physical & Mental) – How and When to Stretch?

Has stretching taken a back seat in your workout routine?

If yes, time to change things for the better and don’t forget to stretch before and after workouts.

Honestly, if you work out regularly in a bid to build big muscle but you aren’t regularly stretching, then you’re not only limiting your potential size and strength gains but also putting yourself at an increased risk of injury.

Stretching should definitely form part of your exercise regime.

There are 3 different types of stretches a person can include in the daily exercise regime:

1. Static: Requires to hold a stretch for 10-20 seconds and is normally done after a workout.
2. Dynamic: Involves active stretching movements and is performed before doing a workout.
3. Ballistic: There are bouncing stretching movements that push the muscles beyond.

There has been an argument for a very long regarding stretching before or after a workout is better.

While most people advocate for stretching before a workout because it reduces the chances of injury and works as a great warming-up exercise.

Others who feel it’s great to stretch after a workout say that it’s great for improving recovery time.

Actually, the benefits of stretching primarily depend on the range of motions you actually perform. When to stretch when working out is entirely a personal choice.

Nevertheless, proper stretching either before or after working out is a great preventive measure for many health issues.

With that being said let’s get to why should stretching be a part of your exercise regime.

Why Should Stretching Be A Part of Your Exercise Routine?

Even though stretching is an essential part of every workout routine, most people often overlook it.

One should always start their workout with at least 55-10 minutes of proper stretching.

Everyday life makes you handle a lot of things as a result there is stress. And if you’re a bodybuilder or a fitness fanatic you might be aware of the fact that your muscle held stress.

Fortunately, stretching relaxes and loosens your muscles and releases stress. This also brings out your body from the constant “fight or flight” mode.

Stretching exercises before or after have a lot of physical and mental therapeutic benefits.

Some of the Physical Health Benefits are mentioned below:

#1. Improves physical performance

Doing stretching exercises every day can improve your overall physical performance.

From improving your workout movements to smoothening your daily movements, improving is one primary benefit of stretching.

This benefit of stretching is long-term. If you perform stretching daily, you can freely move even in your older days when most people often complain about their stiff joints.

#2. Offers a full range of motions and flexibility

Stretching loosens your muscles and joints and makes it easier for you to perform a wide range of movements easily.

As a result, you become more flexible and can perform a variety of motions during your workout.

For instance, if you have tight hamstrings, you could barely perform the single-leg deadlift.  However, including tight hamstring stretches can bring 60% improvement in your leg deadlifts.

#3. Maintains proper posture

If you have a sitting job, you are bound to have poor posture. Nonetheless, adding stretching to your exercise daily can help you improve your poor body posture as well.

The stiffness in your back and neck due to sitting for prolonged periods and staring at the screen builds up stress. Stretching, however, can help release the tension and can maintain the correct posture.

Notably, correct posture while workout can help prevent severe injuries as well.

#4. Increases blood flow to muscles

Stretching increases the muscle temperature and warms up for the coming intense workout.

So, should you stretch before a workout?

Absolutely Yes!  It prepares your muscles and hence prevents muscle injury.

Adding to this, performing stretching after a workout improves muscle recovery. Therefore, stretching before and after a bodybuilding workout can only enhance your results.

#5. Prevents Injuries

Stretching improves blood flow, warms up the muscles, and improves flexibility. So, naturally, it prevents and keeps at bay a lot of injuries.

Dynamic stretching is a good way to warm up your muscles, tendons, and joints. This allows your body to move painlessly and freely during the workout.

If you can dodge painful joints and muscles after an intense workout then why not should stretching be a part of your exercise regime?

#6. Eliminates lactic acid and reduces muscle pain

Lactic acid produced during workouts is the real culprit behind muscle soreness.

Fortunately, you can prevent this painful experience by inculcating stretching in your everyday exercise regime.

Stretching reduces the production of lactic acid throughout the body and you could easily perform your entire workout without any pain.

#7. Increases muscular coordination

Stretching is a great way to coordinate your muscles.

The wide range of motions and flexibility gradually develops muscular coordination and helps ace even the intense exercise routine.

Notably, stretching benefits are not only limited to physical health. Performing stretching either before or after a workout can have an impact on your mental well-being as well.

Some of the Mental Health Benefits are mentioned below

#1. Helps you relax

As stretching releases the tension from the body, it not only relaxes your muscles but also your mind.

When paired with deep breathing and light physical movements, stretching can relax you mentally and keep you calm.

#2. A great positive way to start your exercise

Nobody likes to start their day straight away with deadlifts.

Adding stretching gives you the perfect motivation to continue your exercise.

It prepares your mind and body for the further challenges of the workout regime.

#3. Acts as a great self-care

Stretching is a great self-care tip. Notably, it doesn’t always require you to run or do difficult twists and turns.

Simple jogging with breathing exercises can also be great stretching exercises for beginners. This helps maintain your overall health. It helps you connect to your body and mind for better health.

That said though, it’s also a little more complex than you may have realized – and doing it wrong can cause just as many problems as not doing it at all.

Let’s take a look at how you should be using stretching in your training and how this affects the body.

When to Stretch?

The first question is when to stretch. And this right away might surprise you: according to research, you shouldn’t be stretching before you work out.

Why?

Because it actually makes you less powerful and increases your chances of injury. This may come as a surprise but it makes sense when you consider what’s actually going on here – your muscles act by exerting tension and when you stretch them, you essentially lose the tautness and introduce slack.

This means more effort and movement are required to transfer that same amount of force down to the end of the limb.

At the same time, a more relaxed muscle and connective tissue mean less stability and control in the limb and an increased chance of twisting an ankle!

Note though that not stretching doesn’t mean not warming up!

Stretching to Increase Strength

There is one big caveat here though. Actually, when used correctly, stretching can increase your strength on any lift.

How?

By targeting the opposing muscle.

If you stretch on the muscle on the front of your shin for instance – a muscle called the tibialis – then you’ll have less force working against your calves and you’ll jump higher. Stretch the triceps prior to curls and you’ll be able to curl heavier weights!

You should also make sure you set aside some time to stretch after you lift, or at some separate point in your routine. Stretching generally can help to alleviate tightness and stiffness that leads to poor form in the weight room.

This doesn’t only reduce injury, it improves performance by helping you to lift the weights with better form.

On top of this, simply stretching generally can help to reduce the amount of resistance in all your movements. Studies show that this leads to immediate strength gains in the gym.

Stretching under tension may even lead to accelerated hypertrophy and possibly even the elusive hyperplasia. More research is needed in this area though.

You May Also Read >>> Hypertrophy and Strength Training 

How to Stretch?

The best information on how to stretch can be found in Pavlov Tsatsouline’s book ‘Relax Into Stretch’. It’s also key to generally choose static stretching rather than dynamic stretching – this means gradually moving into the stretch rather than ‘bouncing’ into it or jumping into it.

Don’t forget to do some foam rolling and smooth out that facial tissue!