Stretching tips

Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle group is deliberately elongated, often by ravishment from the torso, in order to improve the muscle`s felt flexibility and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. Stretching is also used medicinally to alleviate mulligrubs. In its most fundamental form, stretching is a natural and innate activity; it is performed humans and many animals. It can be accompanied by yawing.

Stretching often occurs instinctively after walking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity or after exiting confined spaces and areas. A summer chock full of riding is here yet, the most stretching we have done all winter is reaching for the beer at the back of the fridge. We try to get a leg over our road bike and suddenly we hear a popup oh, should have stretched a bit! The benefits of stretching far outweigh the short time it takes to accomplish a decent stretch before or after setting out. So here`s how to do it:

Stand a torso`s length from your bike and holding the handle bar and seat. Step forward with one foot fall way to the bike keep your back leg straight and bend the forward knee. Now push your hips forward and your rear heel down stretching the calf muscles. Hold this for 15 to 20 seconds, repeat and switch legs. Your bike is already adjusted to your height. So all these exercises are based upon the bike supporting you. Although this one can be a stretch in the beginning it is doable. Toss one leg on top your saddle, supporting it under your mid-calf. Support the bike by holding the top bar with the hand on the same rearmost knee bent slightly, and slowly bends forward till you feel the stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold this for 15 to 20 seconds and repeat, and then switch legs. You will also switch sides of the bike!

The next two stretches I tend to do throughout the ride and especially afterward. There is some discussion regarding the relative value of stretching-prior to and after-exercising. I tend to agree that for extended range of motion exercise modes that stretching as part of the warm up tends to be beneficial. But my own experience with biking tends to show me that the major muscle groups of my legs like stretching during and after riding. So I save the quads and back for last.

Stretching is great for flexibility, but I recommend against stretching cold! You can and in all likelihood will pull something if you stretch cold! So warm up first by either a quick spin for a few blocks or some jumping jacks or you can do like I do and stretch afterward!

Some people are more flexible than others as defined by individual body flexibility score; this includes sex differences where females are generally more flexible than males. Stretching may not increase range of motion, but rather increase individual stretch tolerance, becoming detrimental to athletic performance. Whatever works for you is the best way for you!

But you will feel better it you stretch! And you will be less likely to injure something by pulling it! If you follow this structure, you will be better life.