Stretching

For those of you who religiously stretch before every workout, I salute you. For those of you who never stretch...I understand. Stretching always got the better of me too. But no matter how big a waste of time you think it it, stretching is a vital part of exercising, and its just as important to staying healthy as your diet. Its a good habit to get into. Some arguments always presented to me:

1) The numero uno purpose of stretching is to LOOSEN UP. Muscles in a normal state are kind of tense. Stretching loosens them, allowing them to expand and contract with more ease...which means you go faster with less ouch. Not stretching leads to tight muscles, which are way more easy to tear or pull. Overly tight muscles are prone to tear and strain a little during a workout. Also, if you stretch regularly, you gradually increase flexibility.

2) Stretching after a workout is just as important. While exercising, lactic acid builds up in your muscles (a buildup of lactic acid just makes you sore.) Stretching kinda flushes it through your system, making you a little bit less sore.

3) Most athletes use stretching to gauge their body, a personal inventory. See what hurts from yesterday, maybe stretch this particularly tight muscle a little more, decide on today's workout...y'know how it goes.