Stretching before you exercise is good, but doing the right kind of stretching is even better. Before exercise, I recommend dynamic stretching over traditional stretching because dynamic stretching warms up the body. Warming up the body is ideal for preparing the body for exercise and contributes to optimal performance. On the other hand, traditional stretching cools the body down and weakens/relaxes the muscles. This is suboptimal before exercise and can impede getting the most out of your workout. Traditional stretching is more appropriate and necessary following exercise.
To warm up your body easily, try doing knee raises.
BENEFITS
- Prepares muscles for exercise
- Reduces risk of injury
- Improves full range of joint motion
- Burns calories pre-exercise
- Improves flexibility
HOW TO DO
- While walking across a room, raise right knee to left elbow.
- Then, raise left knee to right elbow.
- Do this 10 times in one direction and 10 in the opposite direction.
In addition to the above, here's three dynamic stretches you should be doing weekly (Complete 10 reps of each exercise below for 1-2 rounds).
1.Knee To Chest
As you bring your knee to your chest, raise the opposite foot off the ground, like you're standing on your tippy toes. This helps you bring your knee those extra few inches higher to accentuate the stretch.
2. High kicks
High kicks help warm-up the hamstrings and improve range of motion. You can do them while alternating as you walk, or how I prefer, stationary while focusing on one side at a time. If starting with your right leg, extend your left arm straight out. Kick your leg up while keeping your leg and hand straight so that your toes hit your palm. Try to...
... progressively kick higher, but complete this exercise while staying under control.
3. Arm Swings
Stand tall and hold arms out to your side. Slowly swing your arms back and forth across the front of your body.
Repeat this continuous motion for 30 seconds. For optimal fitness results, balance exercise with healthy nutrition and high quality sleep.
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Sloan Luckie has the God-given purpose to uplift and encourage others—body, soul and spirit. This purpose is evident through the writing of his two books, Journey to the Jacksons: A Mother’s Bold & Extraordinary Actions to Make Her Child’s Seemingly Impossible Dream Come True and Body Under Construction: How to Build and Maintain Optimal Health at Any Age. His books are meant to inspire people around the world to adopt healthy habits and make positive and bold steps to live life to its fullest. Luckie’s inspirational aptitude has garnered great public and media attention. He has appeared on NBC’s “The Talk with Marion Brooks” (click here to see video interview), “NY1 with Cheryl Wills,” graced the pages of Syd Jerome magazine, and conducted companion food-shopping events, fitness demonstrations, and book signings throughout the country. Sloan also is the founder of Body Under Construction, LLC—an organization devoted to optimal health and fitness.
