Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/820827
this ar cle from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) says otherwise. The general consensus among fitness professionals is that you should never stretch ght, cold muscles using sta c stretches (s ll stretches focused on one muscle group). However, you can use dynamic stretches (stretches with movement i.e., lunges) to warm up the body for exercise. The key is to warm up the muscles with gradual ac vity first to avoid an injury. However, research does uphold that sta c stretching post-exercise and before bed can promote flexibility and reduce injury risk. 3. Forgetting to Stretch You guessed it, the most common stretching mistake is forge ng to stretch, and that's among sedentary types to newbie fitness buffs to professional athletes. The truth is that none of us stretch as much as we should. According to Kelvin Gary, a NASM Cer fied performance enhancement coach and personal trainer from New York City, warming the body up with dynamic stretching is vital for everyone, regardless of your current flexibility. In fact, skipping stretching will mean decreased blood flow to muscles and deteriorated flexibility over me. 4. Good Morning Stretches Many of us have read about how good it feels to literally stretch our way out of bed in the mornings. While it's one thing to envision a morning stretch accompanied by birds chirping on your windowsill, it's another thing to stretch cold muscles. First thing in the morning, your muscles are s ll cold due to sleep and inac vity, so avoid an injury by ge ng up and moving around for a bit before you launch into a series of stretches. According to Dr. Bill Holcomb, a professor of athle c training at Las Vegas' University of Nevada, "You should never [sta c] stretch a cold muscle in any way." 5. Stretch Frequently and Consistently This is the major reason why rushing through the stretching por on of your workout doesn't do your body any good. According to the strength and condi oning community, stretching only once in a blue moon isn't hardly enough. Take it from Boston-based Naturopath, strength and condi oning specialist, personal trainer, and yoga Page 24 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com