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Dr. Erin A. White
B.Sc. (H.K.), C.K., D.C.
Chiropractor, Certified Kinesiologist
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HARE CHIROPRACTIC AND
NATURAL HEALTH CENTRE
Family Wellness & Sports Injury Centre
Why Stretch
By
Dr Erin White
Why Stretch?
Stretching should be a part of your life.
Regular stretching will help with the following:
* reduce muscle tightness
* help coordination via easier/freer mobility
* increase range of motion
* reduce risk of injury
* promote circulation
Stretching can be done almost any time you feel
like it. The only time I discourage people from
stretching is first thing in the morning before
you get out of bed, (atleast walk around the
house once or eat breakfast etc. before
stretching in the morning).
How to Stretch
The correct way to stretch is to hold the
stretch in a relaxed, sustained manner with your
attention focused on the muscle being stretched.
The incorrect way is to bounce up and down or
stretch to the point of pain.
Hold a stretch for 15-30 seconds with a
comfortable “pulling” sensation. Stretch both
sides i.e. both hamstrings, both shoulders.
Stretch each side 3 to 5 times. Each repetition
you may find you can stretch a bit further.
Breathing should be slow and rhythmical.
Recently there has been some controversy about
whether to stretch or not and when to stretch.
The best research indicates during your warm up,
increase your body temperature first (i.e. jog,
stationary bike, jumping jacks etc.) for 5-10
minutes. At this point you are safe to do your
stretches. Post-exercise is a good time to do a
few key stretches as well. If you are interested
in stretching as a lifestyle decision and not
just before sports. I would suggest stretching
in the mid-morning and anytime after when your
body temperature and circulation are optimal.
If you are not sure or confident about what
stretches to do, ask a qualified health care
provider for a customized or sport-specific
program. Do not guess or begin without help.
The following are a variety of stretches that
may be of benefit to you. If you have any
questions, please feel free to email me.
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