To stretch or not to stretch is an important question.
Stretching increases flexibility, reduces your risk of injury,
and improves your overall circulation. However, it is possible
to injure yourself while stretching if you are not practicing
safe stretching methods. Stretching During Warm-Up It is easy to
injure yourself while stretching if your muscles are cold. A
qualified fitness instructor will know to lead an aerobics
class, yoga class or other group activity by first warming up
your muscles before diving into a stretching routine. When
working out at home, you will want to make sure to spend five to
ten minutes first raising your body temperature. When your
muscles are warm, you will feel a greater stretch and less of a
pull or strain. Holding the Stretch For stretching to be
effective, you will want to hold each position for a minimum of
30 seconds. This is often described as a melting of the muscle.
The longer you hold the stretch, the less challenging it feels.
You feel a lengthening. When you are c