Benefits of home fitness stretching

The core value of combining 10-15 minutes of targeted stretching before and after home fitness is that at zero additional cost and occupying almost no space, it can not only amplify the effect of exercise, avoid more than 80% of minor injuries common in home fitness, but also improve chronic discomforts such as shoulder, neck, waist and leg pain caused by sitting for a long time.

When I first started practicing fat-burning classes at home two years ago, I always felt that stretching was a waste of time. As soon as the show started, I immediately followed Pamela’s HIIT. As a result, I suffered retribution just after practicing for a week - the inner side of my left knee hurt for almost half a month, and I limped up and down stairs. Later, I checked with my fitness friends and found out that my hip flexors and quadriceps were stiff and turned into hard knots after a long day of work. When I landed on the ground, my force was twisted and the medial collateral ligament was repeatedly worn. After that, I spent 5 minutes before each exercise to pull the front of my thighs and press my hips. This kind of problem never happened again.

Speaking of which, the timing of stretching has been controversial in the fitness circle. One group strictly requires "dynamic stretching before training and static stretching after training", saying that static stretching before strength training will reduce explosive power.； The other group believes that home fitness is mostly low- to medium-intensity aerobic and bodyweight training, and does not pursue ultimate strength. As long as there is only soreness and no tingling when stretching, it is useful to stretch before and after training, or even when fishing. After trying it myself, I found that the latter is more suitable for ordinary people. Sometimes I sit on the sofa and check my phone after get off work, and I can stretch my shoulders and neck for 3 minutes, which is more effective than using a baby warmer.

My mother has bad knees and doesn’t dare to run or jump. She always said that home fitness has nothing to do with her. Later, I asked her to hold on to the dining chair and stretch her hamstrings for 5 minutes and calf muscles for 3 minutes every day while watching TV shows. She persisted for two months. Now she and her old sisters go to the vegetable market and walk for two hours without complaining of leg soreness. The problem of having to rest when climbing to the third floor is gone. To be honest, many of the benefits of stretching are not just “improving flexibility” as mentioned on the Internet, but can really solve minor daily problems.

There is another point that many people have not mentioned. Stretching can actually help you quickly find the strength of your muscles. I used to practice back training at home, and my neck was sore after every practice. Later I found out that it was because I had been sitting for a long time, holding my chest, and the pectoralis minor muscle was too tight, and I couldn't hold my back at all. Later, before practicing, I stretched the pectoralis minor muscle against the wall for 1 minute. The shoulder-sinking movement became standard all of a sudden. After the training, I only had backache, and my neck was not a problem at all. If I exert the force correctly, the effect will be at least doubled.

Of course, this does not mean that stretching is a panacea. I have also read sports medicine research before, saying that if your joints have a large range of motion and flexibility far beyond ordinary people, over-stretching will reduce joint stability and make you more susceptible to injury. There is also the kind of stretching that makes you grimace in pain. This is not an effective stretch at all. To put it bluntly, it is just pulling on your own ligaments, just looking for trouble.

Anyway, my current attitude towards stretching is that there is no need to stick to standard time and standard movements. Before practicing, feel for any stiff areas on your body and stretch them. After practicing, rub any sore areas a few more times. After all, home fitness is meant to be convenient. Being comfortable and not getting hurt is better than anything else.