Warm-Up Stretches
At the Catalina Medical Center, we provide comprehensive, non-invasive treatments for a number of ailments affecting the spine and soft tissues of the limbs. Injuries to the muscle, tendon, and ligament groups are common, which is especially sad since a lot of them could be avoided if people knew how to warm up properly for a work-out. One of the worst mistakes you can make before exercising is stretching a limb that is still “cold.” While stretching is important, the kinds of static stretches in which a person holds a pose for a time should be saved until the cool-down. When warming up, stretches should be dynamic, meaning that they involve continuous movement. Some examples of these are arm circles, high kicks, and lunges with a twist. Yoga is particularly well-known for its large number of dynamic stretches. Some athletes target the particular part of the body they are planning to work most during the session, but regardless, warm-ups will take about five minutes to be effective. No...