We’ve all been there.
You have had a super long day and have even managed to squeeze in an hour workout. You cannot wait to get home from the gym, put your feet up and catch up on some telly. You race home as soon as you finish your last set.
Bad news guys, if you are skipping your post-workout stretches, your gym session could have doing more harm than good.
Stretching should be made a priority when you workout. It is essential to keep your muscles strong, healthy and flexible to maintain a wide range of motion in your joints.
If you do not make the time for a post-workout stretch, not only are you increasing your risk of injury by reducing joint and muscle mobility, you are also making it very easy to develop Patellar Tendonitis (aka. Jumper’s Knee) which causes pain, stiffness and loss of strength in the affected area.
It does not take long to stretch. Just giving yourself 5 minutes to cool down and stretch after your workout is all you need to avoid tightness in your body and major muscle and joint pain. Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds to really reap the benefits.