Downdog!

Downdog!  The Down dog pose:  Whether you’re doing yoga poses or just need a good hamstring stretch, this is always a good one.  It really loosens you up and helps in your overall health.

Exercise

If you participate in sports:  cheerleading, basketball, track (indoor or outdoor track), you need to stretch so that you’d be in perfect health to do your cheers, running, or jumping!   I never got a chance to play sports when I was in school but I did get to play some volleyball when I was in my early 20’s and loved doing it.  Not only did I get to let off some steam but I was also part of a team and that was so nice.

Why is stretching important?

No matter what exercise you do, it’s so important to stretch before and after your workout.  Stretching is good for you and it should be done daily – but especially before a workout.  If we skimp on stretching or don’t do it at all, we are at risk for injury.  I don’t know about you, but I used to think stretching was one of those things that I really didn’t need to do.  I felt I was flexible enough and didn’t realize that I could hurt myself.  A few pulled muscles here and there initially didn’t phase me.  But, when you hurt yourself a little bit more than you would like – leaving you unable to workout, participate in regular / daily activities, or play sports with your friends, you start to realize that stretching is a very important part of the workout routine.  Plus, the older we get, stretching is that much more important.

So, learn from my mistakes.  Stretch on a daily basis.  I stretch every morning – especially now that I’m older.  I stretch throughout the day and I definitely stretch before and after a workout.  Downdog is an especially good one to do so give it a try.  You’ll be happy you did!