How many times have you heard the expression, no pain, no gain? Unfortunately, this has molded the way that many of us think about exercise. The last thing that most of us want to do is to get into the gym on a regular basis and abuse our bodies in order to be physically fit. I know that it sounds funny whenever it is spelled out in such a way but to be perfectly honest, that is how many of us feel. Is there a way that we can effortlessly exercised in order to enjoy some of the benefits that would be enjoyed if we went to the gym consistently?
You might be surprised to find out that there are some exercises that can be done at home which do not take much effort and pay off in a big way. One of these is stretching exercises, something that you should consider doing on a regular basis. There are several different ways that you can achieve your fitness goals through stretching. First of all, stretching will help to lengthen and strengthen your muscles to a certain extent. This can easily be seen whenever you look at a gymnast. Most of their physique comes from the fact that they spend a lot of time stretching in order to be limber and to achieve success with their sport. Secondly, stretching will help to promote deep breathing which is another thing that your body needs in order to run well and be physically fit.
There are several different forms of stretching that you can do but one of the most effective is an isometric stretch. Whenever you do this sort of stretch, you will gently pull your body into the stretching position and hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. After this time period is up, press against your body in a way that will provide resistance in the opposite direction of what is being stretched and do this for four to five seconds. Totally relax your body for one second and then continue with your stretch. You will be surprised with how much more of a range of motion you will achieve.
Although this is the most beneficial form of stretching that you can do, make sure that you do not over do it. You can stretch every day, sometimes several times in a day but make sure that you do not use the isometrics more than three times a week.