Have you ever got up from your desk after a day of nonstop work only to feel stiff and sore? Or done a strenuous workout and forgotten to stretch afterwards? Stretching is easy to do and serves so many purposes. However, many of us neglect to do it at all. Instead we place all of our emphasis on hardcore workouts and marathon sitting spells. Stretching exercises are a way to honor your body with preventative care. They also feel great!

We have a tendency to look past the benefits of stretching exercises because they are so gentle. We only worry about if an exercise move will help us build muscle, burn fat, or some combination of the two. Stretching exercises should be a basic part of any fitness regimen, however, as they offer a range of benefits despite their ease.

Stretching exercises maintain range of motion and flexibility. Have you ever seen aging people who appear stiff and sore? While some of that can likely be attribute to arthritis, some of it can be prevented with daily stretching exercises. It feels good to have a body that doesn’t groan with discomfort when you reach for something or lift a heavier item.

My favorite benefit of stretching exercises is the relief of tension. Many people hold tension in their muscles when they have particularly trying days or when they are suffering from lack of sleep. For me it’s my shoulders and neck. Nothing feels better to tense muscles than a few stretches.

Incorporating stretching exercises into your daily routine shouldn’t be difficult. After all they take less than 15 minutes and don’t require any equipment.

Consider stretching when you get out of bed in the morning or just before you lay down at night. If you’ve got a few minutes in your office, even when you are on the phone, do some little stretches to improve circulation and release that tension buildup.

For additional information on stretching, check out the Mayo Clinic’s Focus on Flexibility or their slideshow of How to Stretch Your Major Muscle Groups.

There are some of us that hop out of bed in the mornings ready to take on the world. And then there are the normal people. I don’t know about you, but the only hopping going on in my house is the dog anxiously awaiting his morning potty break. When morning workouts just aren’t your thing, consider some gentle stretching exercises to start your day on the right track.

Most of us stretch a little every morning without even realizing it. We might reach up in to the air when we get out of bed, working out the kinks and slowly waking our bodies. Stretching exercises feel good in the morning and they really are good for you.

Stretching is a good way to start your day by focusing on your body. If you honor your body first thing, you may be more likely to continue that trend throughout the day.

Take your morning reach a step further tomorrow and come down and touch your toes. Don’t push it, just hang there and let your vertebrae release any tension they may be holding. As you come back up, reach again for the sky, stretching everything from your fingertips to your toes.

It’s easy to sink into stretches in the morning because our bodies are naturally relaxed. This means you may be more flexible in the morning than you are after a long, tense day. Compare the form of your stretching exercises at these two times of day and see what I mean.

While you are waiting for the hot water in the shower, take some time to stretch your neck, rolling your head to one side and then the other. Let your shoulders fall and relax. Stretch each arm across your chest, first one and then the other to get a good stretch along the top of your back.

Stretching exercises can be as relaxing or demanding as you want. If you feel particularly energetic, try a yoga session. If mornings are slower for you, take it easy and use stretching to slowly wake your body out of its slumber.

Many people doing the P90X program think Yoga X will be similar to a day off. They think stretching and breathing, maybe some “ommmm”-ing will be the extent of it. The people who think this are in for a shock when they do the P90X Yoga X DVD. This yoga workout is a seriously challenging and very different workout.

Despite the popularity of yoga, there are many misconceptions about it. There are several kinds of yoga. There are types that are more meditative, types that are purely flexibility-focused, and then there is yoga like P90X Yoga X.

Yoga X seems friendly and non-threatening for about the first 15 minutes. On about your 5th Vinyasa, however, you realize that the ninety minute DVD might not be as forgiving as you assumed. Because many people aren’t used to the yoga style of P90X Yoga X, or perhaps not used to any type of yoga, they may not enjoy Yoga X the first few times around.

There is no doubt that some of the Yoga poses in P90X Yoga X are extremely difficult. You may only be able to get halfway into position at first. This is the beauty of yoga; you do what you can, sinking deeper into poses and breathing. Within several weeks your body begins to adjust to the poses as you become more flexible and loosened up, allowing you to reach and twist further. Yoga is a progressive exercise that allows you to go at your own pace, continually challenging you with deeper, more intense poses.

P90X Yoga X requires some people to think outside the box. They may wonder about it’s effectiveness. More than likely they are used to workouts being either cardio or weight training. The terms Cardio and weight training have become so ingrained in their fitness minds that they don’t feel quite as effective doing something like Yoga X, that doesn’t necessarily fit into either of those neat categories. It’s true; P90X Yoga X is extremely different from the other P90X DVDs.

Tony Horton knew what he was doing when he added P90X Yoga X to the series. Recognizing the importance of flexibility, he wanted to give participators a workout that would give them flexibility but still rock their body. Yoga X does just that. You will finish Yoga X knowing full well that you just challenged your body, even without a typical cardio or weight training workout.

No-impact, slow-moving, and deep-breathing, who would’ve thought those qualities could work your body so hard? While the 90 minutes of P90X Yoga X will be difficult, it is equally rewarding and a great change of pace.

Stretching and flexibility exercises should be included as part of every fitness program. Not only do flexibility exercises prevent injury, they also serve many other purposes. On top of all the benefits, flexibility exercises feel great! They can be incorporated into a relaxation routine at the end of your day or as a way to wake up gently in the morning.

Stretching and flexibility exercise are one in the same. Gently stretching your muscles through long extended moves will improve your flexibility overtime. As you become more flexible, daily tasks seem easier and even less tiring. Bending to tie your shoes, lifting packages off the floor, reaching overhead for something, all of these become easier with flexibility exercises.

Stretching also improves circulation. Flexibility exercises cause blood to rush to areas of the body and muscles being used. This increase in blood flow (particularly to the muscles) can help aid in the healing process after injuries.

Flexibility exercises and stretching can improve posture. Stand up straight and be seen. When you muscles aren’t tight or tense you can literally hold your head higher and stand straighter more comfortably.

How to Do Flexibility Exercises Properly

Warm up! Don’t do any exercises, even stretching with cold muscles. Do some jumping jacks or jog in place for a few minutes to get your muscles warm and blood flowing. Stretching cold muscles can cause injury.

Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds. Get the most out of your flexibility exercises by holding them for a period. Don’t bounce on your muscles while stretching, just focus on making the reach slightly longer and stronger than before.

Relax! If you push too hard during flexibility exercises, you could injure yourself. Of course, you will feel tension in your muscles as you stretch them but the moves should not be painful.

Try a DVD with flexibility moves if you have a hard time creating your own program. P90X has 2 DVDs that are great for flexibility exercises. Yoga X will get you limber but will also rock your body to the core! This is not your mama’s stretching routine! X Stretch is a more relaxing stretching workout, designed to rest your muscles and get them limber and ready for another week of P90X.

Even since elementary gym class we have been taught to stretch before exercising. Much of the time, as adults, we are so enthused about actually moving our body we skip the stretches. It seems as if when we exercise for weight loss we see stretching as a waste of time, particularly if we are only able to dedicate a limited amount of time to our exercise routine.
 
The benefits of a stretching routine, however, are far reaching and worth the time spent. The subtle stretching movements prepare your cold muscles for exercise by slowly and gently warming them up. If you jump right into a high energy routine without stretching or warming up, your muscles are more prone to injury and soreness. Stretching after exercise has its benefits too, cooling the muscles down and helping to minimize soreness.
 
Stretching both before and after exercise provides a perfect warm -up and cool-down, allowing you to prevent injury while gradually easing you in and out of more intense exercises. Making the extra 5 minutes available for stretching can keep your muscles healthy and make your fitness routine a more pleasurable experience overall.

Aside from using stretching as a warm-up or cool-down, stretching can also be used as a more significant component in your larger fitness plan. The benefits of a stretching routine are multiplied when the time spent stretching is increased. In addition to preventing injuries, stretching can provide many benefits not commonly thought of.

In a study from the American College of Sports Medicine, stretching was found to have a similar effect on muscles as weight training. Although the effects were not as dramatic as weight training, the study showed the benefits of a stretching routine can include a surprising increase in the overall strength of the muscles used.

There is no doubt that stretching improves flexibility. Many of us have experienced firsthand the stiffness that comes with age and inactivity. Stretching can combat that aching and inflexibility. Flexibility and mobility have also been shown to have anti-aging effects, keeping your body moving in a more youthful way.

So, while short periods of stretching provide short term benefits, longer periods of stretching provide improvements that can add to your weight loss goals and overall health. Finding a fitness routine that recognizes the benefits of a stretching routine is important in incorporating these benefits into your life.

Some home work-out systems neglect the importance of stretching all together while others simply touch on it as a warm-up and cool-down method. Trainer Tony Horton recognizes the long reaching benefits of stretching and added a complete stretching workout to his P90X system. A 57 minute stretching DVD is sure to maximize the benefits of stretching and do so in a way that feels good.

Another way to get in your stretching is through workout methods that are based in flexibility training and stretching. Some types of Yoga are excellent for this. With the Yoga Flex routine included in the 10 Minute Trainer system, you can add a complete stretching program into any busy schedule.

Whether you use a DVD totally dedicated to stretching, as in the P90X system, or get your stretching through Yoga, you are reaping the benefits of having a long, lean, flexible body. The benefits of a stretching routine will be evident after consistent application of this activity that not only helps in your health and fitness goals, but also feels great after a long day.