5 Stretches to Help You Warm Up Before Exercising

As much as we allot our time to exercise, we must also bear in mind the importance of stretching and warming up. But why exactly is it important to stretch and warm up? What would happen if we skip stretching and proceed directly to exercise? Well here it is.

Stretching and warming up helps increase the flow of blood inside our bodies which would then help us work our muscles. Stretching and warming up properly also prevents our bodies from acquiring injury when we start to exercise. The stiffness of our muscles would decrease, therefore making us have increased capability to perform the exercise well.

Having pointed out the importance of stretching, here are some examples of stretches that you can perform before you start your exercise. I also added some instructions on how you could do them. Read on and enjoy being fit.

STRETCH 1: NECK STRETCH. Stand with your feet slightly apart and make sure to have your knees facing forward. Make it a point to have your weight balanced and even. Straighten your back and be conscious of your posture. Start by dropping your chin forward slightly. Do not jerk your head downwards because this may cause injury to your neck. Do not forget to breathe properly while doing this stretch. Once you feel that you have stretched enough, bend your neck backwards and repeat the first step. Repeat this twice. Now bend your neck sideways. Turn your head to the left and then to the right. Do not forget to keep your breathing as equal as possible.

STRETCH 2: ARM STRETCH. Stand while keeping your feet apart. Raise your left arm and bend your elbows, placing your arms behind your head. Place your other hand on your elbows and pull slightly to help you stretch. Hold this position for about 10 to 15 seconds. Do this to your other arm and repeat the procedure above. Do not forget to inhale and exhale as you do this exercise.

STRETCH 3: SHOULDER STRETCH. As you have done in the past stretches, stand while keeping your feet apart. Raise your arms in front of you and keep them at shoulder level. Inhale and then as you exhale, take your arms backwards. Do not bend your elbows. Keep your arms extended and stretched starting from your shoulders to your fingertips. Keep your head relaxed. The tension should only be in your extended arms. Hold this position for about 10 to 15 minutes. Relax. Repeat this stretch three times.

STRETCH 4: THIGH STRETCH. Note: In doing this exercise, you have the option of using a chair for support or even the wall. When you already gain your balance, you could now start performing this exercise without the aid of the chair or the wall. Start this exercise by standing in one leg while holding your ankles. Make sure that the leg that you're not holding is relaxed and is facing forward. Inhale and exhale as you do this exercise. Make sure to keep your posture perfect and proper to make the stretch work. After you felt stretched enough, change legs and then repeat the instructions above on the other leg.

STRETCH 5: SPINE STRETCH. Note: You will need a mat for this. Kneel on the mat on all fours. Make sure to keep the legs and hands parallel with each other. They should also be apart as you have done while standing up. Keep your back relaxed. Inhale and then as you exhale you have to arch your back as high as you possibly can. While doing this you have to relax your head and nape. If you bend your neck forward and keep your head down, this will help you stretch more. Remain in this position for 5 to 10 seconds and then relax. You could repeat this stretch three times. Stretching the spine before doing any exercise would prevent you from any serious injury you might have in exercising. Enjoy.