Stretching

Over the past few months, I have talked a lot about prioritizing my health and fitness levels through exercise and clean eating. A component of exercise I have explored lately is stretching my muscles throughout the day. Today, I'm sharing a few of my favorite stretches and techniques for lengthening stiff muscles—

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Before and after every workout, I like to spend about 10 minutes on the foam roller, massaging my legs and back. This is important as it increases blood flow, prevents scar tissue formation and warms up muscles. The infographic below features some of my favorite foam roller stretches. Be wary, though, the first few times you hop on a foam roller, muscles can feel tight and uncomfortable when too much pressure is applied!

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Another pre-workout routine I follow involves dynamic stretching. This routine incorporates exercises such as leg swings, arm circles and lunges to warm up muscles before a strength or cardio workout. The following pictures are a good starting place for warming up—

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Finally, post-workout I spend some time on static stretches to lengthen my muscles and speed recovery time. I spend about 30 minutes per day stretching out my entire body. It is important to do this right after a workout or else I feel a little stiff, but I also enjoy stretching in the evening when I am watching TV. Lately, I have been loving this yoga routine after a difficult workout:

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xoxo,

Ashley