Stretching is an essential part of physical fitness. Routine stretching may slow the degeneration of joints, reduce risk of injury, improve posture, enhance muscular relaxation, reduce or manage stress, improve functional performance and promote...
The hamstrings, the muscles that run along the back of your thigh, are tight and inflexible in many people due to long days of sitting down at work and in front of a computer. Tight hamstrings can pull the hip joint out of alignment, leading to...
Whether you're jumping hurdles, going in for the slam dunk or leaping across the balance beam, increasing the height of your vertical jump can improve your overall athletic performance in a number of sports. The height of your vertical jump --...
Stretching is an important part of fitness and sports training. Stretching can improve your flexibility, reduce post-exercise muscle soreness, increase your sporting or exercise performance, reduce muscle tension, minimize your risk of injury and...
An often-overlooked component of a well-rounded fitness routine is flexibility training. Daily stretching should be a part of your fitness routine. Increasing your flexibility will give you better range of motion, but it can also help prevent...
Stretching is a valuable component in any fitness program. It helps you improve your flexibility and range of motion and can also help improve your performance and prevent injury. Daily stretching also relieves tension stored in your muscles and...
The link between stretching and injury prevention is a topic for debate. There are few studies showing a correlation between the two, and field experts themselves, while admitting that poor stretching technique can promote injury, are conflicted...
Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, is a type of muscle soreness that develops hours after rigorous exercise. Excessive microscopic muscle tears contribute to DOMS. A muscle strain or muscle tear injury can also occur after a strenuous...
Stretching a cold muscle may not be a good idea --- if you use traditional stretching. A weekend warrior leaning against a railing or pushing against a post or wall may be a familiar sight, but that type of stretching may actually hurt you more...
Tight muscles are prone to injury and can have a negative effect on your posture. Tight muscles can also cause back pain and headaches and limit sporting performance. If you want to improve your flexibility or simply maintain your current muscle...
Flexibility allows you to easily move body parts that surround joints through a full range of motion. Muscles and joint structures can become tight due to inactivity, aging or injury. (Daily stretching exercises help to increase flexibility and...
Stretching prepares your muscles for more strenuous activity, and you should perform stretches after slow warm-up exercises, according to the University of Maryland. Stretching helps to elongate and relax your muscles, as well as increase your...
Many people suffer from pain in their lumbar region, or lower back. One of the best ways to treat low back pain is with exercise. However, there are some exercises that aren't good for your lower back. Either avoid these exercises or use a...
The correct warm-up technique can increase power, speed, agility, flexibility and reduce injury. Simply stretching in the traditional sense may not be enough to achieve maximum performance. Understanding the different types of stretching and their...
Cheerleading is a highly physical activity that requires endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. Stretching is vital to cheerleaders because it can improve flexibility and even prevent injury. Before you stretch, you must thoroughly warm up...
Weightlifting, correctly called Olympic weightlifting so as to differentiate between powerlifting, weight training and other strength sports, involves two lifts --- the clean and jerk, and the snatch. Both lifts require athletes to take a weight...
Range-of-motion exercises enhance muscle flexibility and joint mobility. Static and dynamic stretching and self-myofascial release alleviate tension, correct muscle imbalances and promote movement fluidity. Static stretching involves holding a...
Adding plyometric drills is an effective way to improve your vertical leap long-term. These moves are intense, and they should only be used if you are already physically fit. Some of the techniques you can use will provide immediate improvements,...
Flexibility is paramount for a female gymnast. You can't achieve that 180-degree split in the straddle jump on the beam without a whole lot of stretching first. For the best results, practice two gymnastics stretching techniques before mounting...
Your muscles and tendons work together to produce force when you run. When you train, you want to encourage some tendons to develop better stiffness and others to be more compliant to get the most out of each muscle-tendon unit in your legs....
Gymnastics requires extensive flexibility. Gymnasts must stretch at least once every day, but many gymnasts stretch multiple times per day. Different types of stretching must be incorporated for optimal effectiveness. Regardless of the type of...
Sculpting the body into a Michelangelo-style marble statue, has become a passion for many individuals who are hungry for peak physical performance, endurance and perfection. Years of study combined with new scientific breakthroughs in strategy and...
Strengthening muscle around your knee joints decreases your risk of injury by reducing stress on your knee joint. While several stretches can make a knee injury or problem worse, using proper form and technique when you do the right stretches is...
In order for you to achieve optimum fitness, your exercise program must include a stretching component. There are two main stretching techniques, static stretching and dynamic stretching. Static stretching involves applying tension to the muscle...
Stretching is an important part of a fitness program. Stretching reduces muscle tension, promotes an increased range of movement, is physically and mentally relaxing, and is also necessary for good posture. While all stretching can be beneficial,...
Over time, muscles tend to lose their flexibility which can reduce musculoskeletal function and limit joint range of motion. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, flexibility starts to decline in the third decade of life. Muscle...
Stretching is an important element of an exercise routine because it prepares your body for the workout, improves range of motion and flexibility and reduces the risk of injury. Increased flexibility from stretching makes it easier to perform...
Martial artists are often able to perform impressive, high kicking techniques. This kicking skill is usually the result of years of practice and stretching. In "Dynamic Stretching and Kicking," karate champion Bill Wallace says flexibility helps...
Physical activity requires effective, purposeful movements of your body. These movements are the result of force generated in the muscles that act on the skeleton, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Your muscles...
Do a yoga combo to gain endurance and work out the heart. Learn how to do cardiovascular exercises in this free training video.
Stretching for running exercises. Learn how to properly stretch in this training video.