Monday, July 6, 2009

The Stretch.......

To stretch or not to stretch----that is the question……..

In life there are many stretches….. a stretch of road…..we stretch the truth at times…..there are stretch waistbands to accommodate the extra pounds we put on when we only eat and don’t exercise….we like to stretch out on our hammock under the shade tree…….the horses are in the final stretch. But the most important one for us as runners is the stretch we do after our run.

We all for the most part, live in a very busy world. Most of our time is usually accounted for.

Work….families…meetings….trips…..travel……you name it….morning ---noon and night. Accordingly, we usually squeeze in just enough time to get our daily run in with very little time to spare.

We finish our run…jump out of our running gear and hit the shower. Opps….now didn’t we forget to do something?? Now let me see…..

Oh…that ‘s right….you forgot to stretch. Couple that missed moment with all the other times you missed your post run stretch and that adds up to: future trouble.

OK….I hear you thinking, “that just isn’t my problem.” Well right….maybe not now, but it will all catch up with you in the long run. Why you ask? It’s simple.

That warm tendon and muscle you ended up with at the end of your run will contract quickly as it cools. Your five minute stretch will minimize the contraction and ensure that your precious leg tendons and muscles retain their natural elasticity.

Bear in mind that a lack of stretching will eventually affect your gait and posture. You may get away with not stretching when you’re young but nature’s reality will catch up with your legs as you get older.

Women have another consideration and challenge. Beware of high heel shoes! Constant wearing of high heel shoes will have a severe adverse impact on your Achilles tendons. The tendon will compress and shrink when high heels are worn on a regular basis. So if you happen to wear high heels to work and have them on for over eight hours, you really should stretch your legs at the end of the day. Not to do so can cause your Achilles tendon to tear when the heel goes down and the tendon has shrunk.

You now have your stretching advice. Be wise take time to stretch.

Remember: You can’t Make Dust with a torn Achilles!

Stretch on my friends!

Soon to come:
Best kinds of stretching routines……

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