What if you could improve your flexibility, balance and strength in three steps? Is it possible. The Mayo Clinic recommends stretching two to three times a week. Skipping your stretch routine means you will miss the opportunity to reduce your risk of injury and improve your range of motion. Better flexibility can improve your performance in physical activities as well as greatly reduce the risk of injury.

Some of the other benefits are; help joints move through their full range of motion, enable your muscles to work most effectively. The debate of when to stretch is ongoing. Best rule to follow is not to stretch cold muscles. Warm up first, then stretch. Make the focus on major muscle groups and then stretch each side equally. Bouncing is not a good method of stretching. Instead try to stretch in a smooth movement. Bouncing when you stretch can actually injure your muscles and contribute to tightness. Holding a stretch for 30 seconds is best. If you have areas that are more problematic then 60 seconds is better. If you experience pain when you stretch you have pushed to far, back off to where you don't feel pain, then hold the stretch.

Finally if you want to increase flexibility, strength and balance then look into pilates or yoga. Both of these disciplines work on all three principles and will allow you to stretch, while strengthening the muscles and creating balance too. A win-win recipe for success. So, while the debate continues about the proper time to stretch, I believe building it in to your workout is the most efficient way to get the best result and also to be consistent.

For more information about health and fitness, please contact Kay Colgan at Middleburg Pilates and personal training, 14 S Madison Street, Middleburg, Virginia or call 540-687-6995.