And..... Stretch!

Whether you are a fitness buff or have vague memories of Year 9 hurdles and 1500m run at sports day, we all know that we have to stretch after we have done exercise.

But does anyone actually know why? (Apart from any of you Personal Trainers out there!) Well just as many of us need to recover from a long day of work or childcare at the end of the day, so do our muscles need to recover.

Unsurprisingly one of the most popular reasons for people not to return to exercise is muscle soreness, and stretching can prevent this. Stretching increases blood circulation whilst the muscles are still warm, which in turn increases oxygen to our most worked muscles - 'feeding' those areas with what they need.

Stretching will also increase your flexibility (enabling you to amaze with your downward dog), so definitely not a step to skip after your workout.

Another amazing benefit of stretching after you exercise is that it extends the amount of time that the endorphins released by physical activity flow through your body. So you get that feel-good-factor for even longer - what's not to love!

Moral of this story - make sure you stretch after you exercise. Do consult with your physical training expert or instructor after your class though as certain stretches are more beneficial after different exercises and you have to be wary of injuries.

Good luck with your exercise journeys!

Mhairi @ Wild Air Wellbeing

Unsurpri