stretching

Getting your stretch on with stretch x p90x

Whether you refer to it as X Stretch or Stretch X P90X, the workout is the same. You’ll see it on your P90X calendar and breathe a sigh of relief because it signifies a day of rest, a day to take it easy, and a day to stretch away the aches and soreness of the previous P90X week. While it’s included as a “suggestion” for rest days in the P90X Classic approach, it’s a suggestion that we really urge you to take.

Flexibility is often overlooked in workout programs despite its known benefits. It doesn’t only feel good to stretch, it can improve your fitness results and quite simply make life easier!

 

Stretch X P90X is designed to increase your flexibility and give you a “time out” from the really strenuous P90X workouts. It includes some gentle yoga stretches and really basic stretches that you can do whenever you have the chance. Use it as a learning tool and you will likely find some favorite stretches that you can do again and again.

So why is Stretch X P90X included with the program if it’s an “easy” workout and completely “optional”? Because Tony Horton and the people over at Beachbody know just how important stretching is to a fitness plan. Stretching can actually prevent injury and makes it far easier to go about your daily life. Reaching, bending, and twisting aren’t accompanied with a groan of discomfort when you regularly stretch.

While in some of the approaches Stretch X P90X is completely optional, we encourage people to do it frequently. Do it on your rest day and if you’re up to it—add it to a few other days a week. Stretching won’t hinder your progress and you may find it gives you a nice way to cool down after the daily P90X workout!

For more information on the benefits of stretching, check out what Mayo Clinic has to say on the matter, or this great article from MSNBC.

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Stretching Exercises for Lasting Health

j0255375Have 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.

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Warm Up Before Staring Your Fitness Training Program

WarmUp

I know everyone has heard this one before, how it is so important to warm up before starting any fitness training program. You don’t want to pull a muscle or strain yourself. But did you know that if you don’t warm up before hand you’re just wasting some of your valuable workout, wasting time warming up during your actual workout. Your body is going to take the time to warm up wether you do it or not. We all live in a society where everything is just rush rush rush. It seems like we have less and less time to do our workouts, so why not make it count. Take the time before hand to get your heart pumping and get the most out of your fitness training program.

If you want to warm up properly for your workout, simple stretching won’t do. The whole point is to get heart rate up and to warm up your body. If your fitness training program is a real intense one, like the P90X, then you will want to do a much longer warm up session, although the P90X program does a great job of warming you up on its own. But for other programs doing a little jogging in place for about 10 minutes or for lower intensity programs a quick walk around the block, in addition to stretching, will do the trick.

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Make Stretching Exercises Part of Your Morning Routine

j04073091There 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.

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What is Non-Aerobic Exercise?

j0407309According to search engine trends, many people are interested in learning about non-aerobic exercise. While non-aerobic exercise isn’t really a specific type of fitness. It is simply all types of exercise that aren’t considered aerobic. A closer look at what aerobic means is necessary to truly understand what people mean by non-aerobic exercise.

 

When we think of “aerobics” we commonly think of women in spandex doing dance moves to Top 40 music. This form of fitness is a good example of “aerobic exercise” but isn’t the only one. As a matter of fact, many fitness programs are centered on aerobic exercise. Simply put, aerobic exercise is exercise that increases your cardiovascular health. It is a synonym for “cardio” exercise.

As a cardiovascular activity, aerobic exercises include everything from running to many fitness DVD’s as well as some organized sports and martial arts. Non-aerobic exercise then is exercise that doesn’t increase your breathing and heart rate much. Very low impact and low intensity work qualifies as non-aerobic exercise.

 

Stretching is a great form of non-aerobic exercise. Things like Yoga and Pilates involve stretching but are both very intense and likely to dramatically work your heart and lungs. For this reason, the more strenuous versions of these types of workouts would not be considered non-aerobic exercises.

 

Light strength training can also be a good non-aerobic workout. Being careful to lift only light weights and use controlled measured movements will guarantee that your heart and lungs aren’t worked too hard.

 

Non-aerobic exercise may appeal to people recently out of surgery or of limited capabilities. Light exercise is great for people who may not have the capabilities that normal healthy adults do. Monitoring your breathing and heart rate are good ways to ensure the activity you choose is definitely a non-aerobic exercise.

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Frozen Shoulder Exercises

j0385786The condition known as frozen shoulder is said to affect nearly 2% of the population. Using frozen shoulder exercises at home can treat the condition and improve the negative symptoms associated with it. This affliction is characterized by loss of movement and pain in the shoulder. While it is unclear what causes it, there are some simple remedies for more mild cases.

 

Depending on the level of paid you experience with your frozen shoulder, your doctor may prescribe a pain killer or send you to physical therapy. There is a good chance, however, that he will direct you to do some frozen shoulder exercises at home.

 

An anti-inflammatory like ibuprophen can help relieve pain but only frozen shoulder exercises will keep your range of motion open.

 

Frozen shoulder exercises focus on moving the arm in ways to ensure your shoulder muscles do not get neglected. Try lying on your back and slowly lifting your arm overhead. Continue lifting and reaching your arm until it is flat on the floor, reached out overhead.

 

Another good frozen shoulder exercise is to grasp a towel behind your back. Use the shoulder that is frozen as the upper arm and reach the other arm behind you. Pull gently on the towel to give your shoulder a good stretch.

 

Lastly, try simply stretching your arm across your chest or doing small rotations of your arm to ensure your frozen shoulder exercises are keeping the muscles and joint loose.

 

While these frozen shoulder exercises may cause some discomfort, you should never push yourself into extreme pain. Taking things slowly and gently with a frozen shoulder is the best way to restore good shoulder function.

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The Benefits of Flexibility Exercises

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.

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The Benefits of a Stretching Routine

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.

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