A regular exercise routine or participating in recreational sports can improve your health and happiness—but you should always include stretching for safety and performance optimization. It doesn’t take long to include stretching in your routine, and it can have important benefits for your body, from improved circulation to body awareness. Here are the key reasons your workout routine will be elevated.

Why Stretching Optimizes Health & Performance

1. Avoid Injury

When you’re injured, you can’t play, work out, or even enjoy daily activities with your family. Stretching before a workout helps to prevent tears and strains that can keep you off your game for months. In addition, cold muscles can spasm or rupture. The most effective stretching should take place after you warm up with some walking or calisthenics but before you begin your full workout.  

2. Improve Performance

Loose muscles and warmed-up tendons and joints work better. When you stretch in advance, you’ll be able to bring your best self to your workout, run, or game right out of the gate. The increased flexibility also allows you to move more freely as you reach for a ball or open up your stride. If your favorite workout includes lifting weights, the flexibility from stretching will improve your balance as you assume a proper lifting position.  

3. Reduce Pain & Stiffness

If performance optimization is important, you should work out three days or more per week. Your post-workout stretching will reduce muscle soreness that can keep you from working out as often as you’d like. It will also help you avoid stiffness that can prevent you from pushing yourself to the next level.

4. Increase Range of Motion

A regular stretching routine will improve your range of motion, helping you to run faster and more confidently. Even less active sports benefit from this performance optimization, such as an improvement of your golf swing. A better range of motion will also help you remain independent as you age because you’ll be able to perform more routine tasks on your own—an added benefit to consider next time you hit the gym.

IMUA Orthopedics, Sports & Health LLC in Honolulu, HI, takes an integrative approach to improving your health. Whether you have an injury, chronic pain, or are looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle, this practice can help you live a better life through functional and nutritional medicine and performance optimization. Call (808) 521-8170 or request your appointment online today.