Stretch It Out!

1. Stretch when you are warmed up. You increase the chance of pulling a muscle if you stretch when your body is cold. When your body temperature is elevated, your muscles are more pliable. Think of your body as taffy. When the taffy is cold you can't do much with it, warm it up and it will stretch easily!

2. Hold your stretches for AT LEAST 10 seconds. Longer than that is better, 30 seconds to a minute for each major muscle group would be great.

3. Stretch everyday! Stretching improves your flexibility, which is the range of motion available at your joints. It is something that you can continue to improve upon, however if you stop stretching you will lose gains in flexibility fairly quickly.

4. Stretch all major muscle groups each day. This includes Chest/Back/Hamstrings (back of the thigh)/Glutes (rear end)/Quadriceps (front of the thigh)/Shoulders/Biceps (front of the upper arm)/Triceps (back of the upper arm)/Calves (back of lower leg)

5. Don't stretch into pain! You should feel tension on the muscles when you are stretching, but don't stretch if you are feeling sharp pains.

6. Stretching is a fantastic way to work on improving your posture. Poor posture is oftentimes caused by tight muscles. Think about this. You all know someone who is hunched over, shoulders rounded, maybe you yourself are! It is a very common postural deviation since we are all hunched over so much in life (i.e. driving, sitting at a computer) causing the chest muscles to be tight. In turn the back muscles are probably weak. An easy way to improve this problem is to stretch your chest muscles.

7. Stretching is a great way to help alleviate stress. Taking five minutes out of your workday for some light stretching can increase your daily productivity and lower your stress levels.

8. Dont bounce! The general population should perform static stretches. Move into a stretch position and hold it. Bouncing while stretching will increase your chance of injury!

9. There are several factors that can influence your ability to stretch including: age, the shape of your bones (some people are just naturally going to be more flexible due to their bone structure), temperature of your body tissue, muscle soreness, how much muscle you have on your body, what types of muscle fibers you have and how tight the opposite muscle group is.

10. Always BREATHE into your stretches. Don't hold your breath while you are stretching, hold the position and every time you exhale try to relax your body and move a little bit deeper into the stretch.

11. Yoga is a great way to not only stretch but also work on balance, stability, strength, coordination and focus.

12. Stretching helps to increase your blood flow and supplies joints and muscles with more blood!

13. Stretching everyday will relieve tension on your lower back and help to eliminate lower back pain. 90% of the population suffers from lower back pain on a regular basis and the majority of these problems could be relieved just from stretching! Tight hamstrings and pelvic muscles are a major cause of lower back pain, so stretch them!

14. Stretching minimizes stress, decreases stiffness and helps your muscles to RELAX! You now have a better understanding of the benefits and techniques for this important yet often overlooked segment to your fitness plan. Start stretching today and see how much better you will feel!

Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI. Diana is a fitness coach as well as an NPC National Level Figure Competitor. She is co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.d2bfit.com ) based in San Antonio, TX and she is the star of the fitness DVD Fitness Deadlines. Diana can be contacted at contact@d2bfit.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Chaloux

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Back Pain Facts?

There are several causes of back pain: mechanical causes, eg lumbar disc disorders; degenerative conditions, eg degenerative disc disease; inflammatory conditions, eg ankylosing spondylitis; infective causes, eg osteomyelitis; neoplastic causes, eg primary benign or malignant tumours; metabolic bone disease, eg osteoporosis; referred pain, eg from duodenal ulcer; psychogenic pain - originating in the mind rather than the body.

Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints and does not usually reflect any underlying disease. However, anyone with back pain that does not improve after a few days should first consult a Physician, as back pain can sometimes indicate significant and serious conditions which might not otherwise be diagnosed. Back pain is very rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. It is however important that the treatable medical causes are identified early on.

Back pain affects 50 to 80 percent of people in the U.S. at some point in their lives. In any given year, 10 percent of adults experience back pain or other symptoms, such as limited mobility or stiffness. Each year, Americans spend an estimated $24 billion on treatments for back pain - not including missed time from work nor the emotional costs of enduring pain and not being able to participate in daily activities. Imagine what it would be like to have problems working, golfing or enjoying playtime with children!

Back pain can be mildly uncomfortable, excruciating or anywhere in between. It can start slowly, sometimes a result of poor posture, or come on suddenly because of injury. If your question is not answered here, please contact one of our information specialists. Back pain can last for a few short days or can linger for weeks, months and even years. Arthritis is a common form of back pain. The earlier arthritis is diagnosed, the more steps can be taken to reduce disability in the future. Other factors that aggravate back pain include suffering from stress, not getting enough sleep, being overweight, having poor posture or not being physically fit.

Back pain should not be considered a normal part of aging; it is a chronic condition that calls for similar lifestyle changes as diseases like arthritis and diabetes do.