I’ve never been very flexible. I can’t remember the last time I touched my toes. My neck and shoulders are tight enough to cause pain most of the time. My husband, tired of my whining, is always telling me to stretch. Stretch? How about a nice aromatherapy massage followed by a steam?
That was me until about three years ago. When my doctor told me to start stretching, I paid a little more attention. There was a Soloflex WBV in the office. I tried it a few times, following the stretching routine in the User Guide. Within three minutes, I was able to touch my toes and my neck and shoulders didn’t bother me quite as much. Hmmm, more work than a massage, but it seemed to help. I got a machine for myself and started stretching almost every day. I am a believer in stretching.
I’ve been using my Soloflex WBV for yoga for a while now and I’m about to step it up and add weightlifting. I want to keep stretching, but I’m not sure about the best time to stretch. I thought the answer would be either before or after, but it turns out it’s both. It’s bad to stretch cold muscles, so about 5 minutes of light activity is recommended to start. Then, some stretches. Loose muscles perform better and are up to 50% less prone to injury. Stretching after a workout prevents the build-up of waste products (lactic acid, for example, the cause of muscle soreness) and relaxes your muscles and tendons. Makes sense to me. Even without the benefits I’ve mentioned, I’d keep stretching just because it feels so good.
