Efficient Stretching Prior to Training

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The body of an athlete requires appropriate mental and physical preparation.. However, it is crucial to remember about the appropriate temperature and stretching.. Only after conducting a proper warm-up and stretching session, the body can serve as a solid foundation for every training.. Proper stretching prepares muscles, tendons, tracks and protects against potential injuries during training.. The form of stretching can be highly varied and rely on different types of equipment.. Stretching does not have to be boring, but it can be an interesting, efficient and innovative form of body preparation for training.

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Effective stretching – resistance bands

For a long time, trainers in the West have been using resistance bands, also known as power bands, to enhance mobility by stretching contracted structures and connective tissues. This method has gained popularity in recent times. Since most people spend the majority of their lives in a seated position, many areas of the body are contracted, making simple exercises like squats difficult. This is where resistance bands come into play. Effective stretching means that the training person focuses on the area that needs stretching, which saves time from not stretching healthy areas with a correct range of motion. A good option can be the combination of stretching contracted structures with resistance bands and appropriate corrective exercises with weights. Resistance bands work much better than traditional stretching, primarily because they generate constant tension after being stretched, acting like a spring. This allows for a slow and painless separation of contracted structures, leading to a greater range of motion in the joints.

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How and where to stretch your body

First and foremost, we need to determine which areas of our body are constricted and require some work. It's challenging to ascertain since specialized tests are used for this purpose, so the best course of action is to visit a good physical therapist. Once we know which structures we should be working on, we can commence stretching them. We can do this literally anywhere, but since this article is about stretching before training, we'll utilize the place where we usually train. Depending on the prescribed stretching exercises, we may need some free space or an element to attach one end of the resistance band.

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What should we pay attention to while stretching before training?

What are the most important elements to consider when stretching before training? First and foremost, it's the appropriate technique. Just because we focus on one structure doesn't mean we can overlook the correct setting of another. That means we always need to pay attention to the correct posture, the neutral curvature of the lumbar spine. Additionally, we're interested in the correct movement pattern, that is, stretching a given structure in the same way that the muscle runs through it. As I mentioned earlier, such stretching should not last too long, at most a few minutes, because it can have negative effects on our strength training. We should also not overdo it when it comes to the load, as this is the quickest way to injury and strains.

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How to determine the load during stretching

The rubber strap and the distance it will be extended represent the loading in this situation, allowing us to easily adjust the tension. The more skilled the individual, the more significant the loads they can withstand. Conversely, novices should begin with thinner bands, which will be ideally suited for them. Everything also depends on the type of stretching exercises we will be performing, as some of them require thicker straps.

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Advantages of contemporary stretching

One of the greatest advantages of training with advanced stretching techniques is its simplicity. It takes only a few minutes to familiarize oneself with each exercise. Furthermore, stretching exercises do not take long and yield satisfying results, enhancing mobility during complex exercises. Ultimately, I would like to mention that it is a flexible system that does not require us to carry an extensive amount of equipment.

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