5 Vital Things You Should Know About Stretching

Stretching is important to keep joints and muscles healthy. When you visit a chiropractor, he or she may give you stretching tips specific to any problems you may be having. Here are some things you may not know about stretching:

1. There are two main types of stretching. Although it’s important to stretch, the type of stretching that you do is dependent on the type of workout that you are preparing for. Dynamic stretching, (stretching while moving, like alternating knee lifts) is the best type of stretching for active exercises.
2. Stretching prior to exercising does not necessarily prevent injury. Even though stretching helps in some cases, other injuries can’t be avoided by stretching. Practice caution when working out or exercising.
3. It’s important to understand what type of stretches work for you before you start your exercise regime. Everyone’s body is not the same and the same type of stretching will not work the same way for everyone.
4. It is completely possible to overstretch your muscles. If, for any reason, you overstretch a very tense muscle—you can end up pulling or straining that muscle.
5. Stretching can help with your overall physical performance, but depending on the activity, stretching can actually worsen your performance. Weight lifting, for example. If you stretch too much before lifting weights, you can hurt your overall physical performance by over exhausting your muscle strength.

If you have pain from inflammation or soft tissue injuries, contact Dr. Gotro at 704-343-0208 for a free consultation on the best stretches, exercises and therapies for relief.