WHY STRETCHING IS IMPORTANT

To stretch or not to stretch? Find out what's best for your body

- AILSA HARVEY

If you've ever witnessed the starting line of a professional running race, you'll have seen a herd of athletes moving their bodies in flamboyant motions, as if dancing with uncontrollable excitement. This isn't some form of team rave, but an individually choreographed stretching regime. Stretching before exercising helps warm up the muscles needed for running, increases blood flow and improves an athlete’s range of motion. Exercise can be highly demanding, and stretching serves as preparation for the repetitive strain these muscles are about to endure.

If you warm up your muscles before the starting gun, you don't need to use the first part of the race to increase your power. It's a process a bit like the revving of engines before a Formula 1 race. Warming up the engine, circulating the oil for lubrication and increasing the tyre rotation before the race officially starts means the vehicles can instantly launch from the gates when released. Similarly, warming up your muscles, circulating your blood and increasing joint mobility helps make a runner's body the fastest vehicle it can be.

Sports like weightlifting require stable joints and a more compact release of energy in one controlled motion. Mobility-focused stretches are beneficial for this sport, as athletes need to perform with correct posture to prevent injury. Some useful stretches include hip rotation stretches to achieve deeper squats, spine mobility stretches for back-lifting posture and stretching using exercise bands to open up the muscles in the shoulders.