So how did you get on after last week’s article explained the importance of introducing some flexibility into your life?

Do you feel any better? A little more mobile, perhaps?

This week I’m going to explain in more detail the different types of flexibility training you should be doing before and after exercise, whether you are training in the gym or at home.

There are many different types of flexibility training but the two main ones are dynamic stretching (involving movement) and static stretching (with no movement) Dynamic stretching is normally performed before exercise. It involves moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. It’s so important to get your body prepared and ready to exercise, especially if you’ve spent a lot your day sitting down at a desk or, perhaps, driven for a long period of time, or if it’s first thing in the morning – a time when your body will be stiff.

Here’s an example of a basic dynamic stretching routine – it’s a great way to get your mind and body ready to exercise: 1) Neck flexion and extension: chin to chest/eyes to ceiling, then ear to shoulder both sides 2) Make circles with the arms forwards and backwards 3) Chest opener 4) Torso Twists 5) Hip Rotations 6) Lunges forwards, side and reverse 7) Bodyweight Squats Do 10 repetitions of each exercise before you train.

At the end of the workout I would encourage you to do static stretching, this will help decrease muscle soreness over the next few days as well as decreasing the risk of injury caused by tight muscles.

Always focus on stretching out your legs: 1) Calfs 2) Quads 3) Hip Flexors 4) Hamstrings 5) Glutes When the legs are tight they can cause lots of injuries to your hips and lower back, so it’s important to remember to stretch these areas even if your workout hasn’t been focused around these muscles.

Also include upper body stretches: 6) Lower Back 7) Chest 8) Triceps 9) Shoulders 10) Neck When performing static stretches hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. I assure you, stretching is never a waste of time. I know it takes up time and you may feel time is something you don’t have but if you want to avoid injury, whether you are a regular exerciser, athlete or you never exercise, stretching will always benefit you.