Swimming is a form of cardiovascular exercise that requires powerful muscles. Swimmers mostly use their upper bodies to push themselves through the water. Between the various swimming strokes, all of the major muscle groups are utilized including the muscles of the legs, abdominals, biceps, and triceps. To maximize the efforts of those muscles, dedicate several minutes to some stretching exercises before you jump in the water. Stretches will lengthen the muscle fibers to supply you with more flexibility and strength in the water.

Stretching the arms and chest helps keep the muscles of the upper body long and flexible, and also improves upper body strength by permitting an increased range of motion and minimizing muscle pain. Swimmers also depend on their core muscles to help push them through the water. All of these muscles tend to tighten up while swimming, particularly those in the upper back.

Since it’s a non-impact form of exercise, swimming doesn’t result in as many injuries as some sports do. Nevertheless, swimmers can acquire injuries related to overuse such as tendonitis or pulled muscles. In fact, no less than 50 percent of swimmers will acquire shoulder pain at some point in time. With such a considerable likelihood of injury, many medical professionals recommend that their patients engage in stretching routines both for the treatment and prevention of injury. Since muscles that have been warmed up are more flexible, there’s less danger of injury with a regular stretching program.

If you constantly swim freestyle, it will result in tight muscles in the shoulders and the front of the upper arms. Do the backstroke every so often to help balance muscle use. Stretching before and after your swim will also help you to avoid these types of muscle imbalances.

Here’s a good routine to follow: Start with a short, 10 to 15 minute warm-up in the pool, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of stretching exercises. Head back into the pool for the remainder of your warm-up. When you’re finished your workout, do some more stretching as part of your cool down.

Following are the top three stretches for swimmers, courtesy of The Stretching Institute. Click here if you’d like to see pictures of the stretches being performed, along with more information on swimming stretches and injury prevention.

Reaching-up Shoulder Stretch: Place one hand behind your back and then reach up between your shoulder blades.

Arm-up Rotator Stretch: Stand with your arm out and your forearm pointing upwards at 90 degrees. Place a broomstick in your hand and behind your elbow. With your other hand pull the bottom of the broomstick forward.

Single Heel-drop Calf Stretch: Stand on a raised object or step. Put the ball of one foot on the edge of the step and keep your leg straight. Let your heel drop towards the ground.

The range of motion of your trunk, shoulders and arms is essential to your swing. The fact is, golf requires constant twisting of your trunk. All this rotation places a lot of stress on the spine, which in turn increases your chances of being injured. Unfortunately, most recreational golfers don’t bother warming up prior to playing. In fact, it’s important to stretch on a daily basis to prepare your muscles in advance.

Before stretching, it’s important that you warm up with 10 minutes of some form of moderate exercise such as walking, stepping or stationary cycling. This will warm up your muscles and make them more resistant to injury. To help prepare your muscles for the next game, here are a couple of stretches you should do before golfing.

Side Bends: Stand erect, feet shoulder width apart and arms hanging at your sides. Bend slowly to the right (making sure your hips are facing forward) and slide your right arm down along your thigh. At the same time, reach to the right with your left arm. You should feel the stretch along the left side of your torso. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat 3 times; then reverse the arm positions and repeat on the other side.

Knee to Chest Lift: Lie down on your back with your body extended, and flex your right knee. Slowly slide your right foot toward your buttocks. Grasp your leg with both hands behind the flexed knee and pull it towards your chest. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds and relax. Repeat with the other leg.

These are just two golf stretches which target certain areas of the body. To fully prepare yourself for your game, you need to do flexibility exercises for each muscle group. The Stretching Institute offers this kind of comprehensive program of golf stretches that will help you improve your game and prevent injury. Click here to read their in-depth article on golf stretches.

An effective warm up has a number of very important key elements. These elements, or parts, should all be working together to minimize the likelihood of sports injury from physical activity.

Warming up prior to any physical activity does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its main purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body’s core temperature, while also increasing the body’s muscle temperature. By increasing muscle temperature you’re helping to make the muscles loose, supple and pliable.

An effective warm up also has the effect of increasing both your heart rate and your respiratory rate. This increases blood flow, which in turn increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. All this helps to prepare the muscles, tendons and joints for more strenuous activity.

Keeping in mind the aims or goals of an effective warm up, we can then go on to look at how the warm up should be structured.

Obviously, it’s important to start with the easiest and most gentle activity first, building upon each part with more energetic activities, until the body is at a physical and mental peak. This is the state in which the body is most prepared for the physical activity to come, and where the likelihood of sports injury has been minimized as much as possible. So, how should you structure your warm up to achieve these goals?

There are four key elements, or parts, which should be included to ensure an effective and complete warm up. They are:

1. The general warm up;
2. Static stretching;
3. The sports specific warm up; and
4. Dynamic stretching.

All four parts are equally important and any one part should not be neglected or thought of as not necessary. All four elements work together to bring the body and mind to a physical peak, ensuring the athlete is prepared for the activity to come. This process will help ensure the athlete has a minimal risk of sports injury.

Lets have a look at each element individually.

1.) General warm up

The general warm up should consist of a light physical activity. Both the intensity and duration of the general warm up (or how hard and how long), should be governed by the fitness level of the participating athlete. Although a correct general warm up for the average person should take about five to ten minutes and result in a light sweat.

The aim of the general warm up is simply to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate. This in turn increases the blood flow and helps with the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. This also helps to increase the muscle temperature, allowing for a more effective static stretch. Which bring us to part two.

2.) Static stretching

Static stretching is a very safe and effective form of basic stretching. There is a limited threat of injury and it is extremely beneficial for overall flexibility. During this part of the warm up, static stretching should include all the major muscle groups, and this entire part should last for about five to ten minutes.

Static stretching is performed by placing the body into a position whereby the muscle, or group of muscles to be stretched is under tension. Both the opposing muscle group (the muscles behind or in front of the stretched muscle), and the muscles to be stretched are relaxed. Then slowly and cautiously the body is moved to increase the tension of the muscle, or group of muscles to be stretched. At this point the position is held or maintained to allow the muscles and tendons to lengthen.

There’s quite a bit of controversy about whether static stretching should be included in the warm up, and recent studies have shown that static stretching may have an adverse effect on muscle contraction speed and therefore impair performance of athletes involved in sports requiring high levels of power and speed. It is for this reason that static stretching is conducted early in the warm-up procedure and is always followed by sports specific drills and dynamic stretching.

This second part of an effective warm up is extremely important, as it helps to lengthen both the muscles and tendons which in turn allows your limbs a greater range of movement. This is very important in the prevention of muscle and tendon injuries.

The above two elements form the basis, or foundation for a complete and effective warm up. It is extremely important that these two elements be completed properly before moving onto the next two elements. The proper completion of elements one and two, will now allow for the more specific and vigorous activities necessary for elements three and four.

3.) Sport specific warm up

With the first two parts of the warm up carried out thoroughly and correctly, it is now safe to move onto the third part of an effective warm up. In this part, the athlete is specifically preparing their body for the demands of their particular sport. During this part of the warm up, more vigorous activity should be employed. Activities should reflect the type of movements and actions which will be required during the sporting event.

4.) Dynamic stretching

Finally, a correct warm up should finish with a series of dynamic stretches. However, this form of stretching carries with it a high risk of injury if used incorrectly. It should really only be used under the supervision of a professional sports coach or trainer. Dynamic stretching is more for muscular conditioning than flexibility and is really only suited for professional, well trained, highly conditioned athletes. Dynamic stretching should only be used after a high level of general flexibility has been established.

Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.

During this last part of an effective warm up it is also important to keep the dynamic stretches specific to the athletes particular sport. This is the final part of the warm up and should result in the athlete reaching a physical and mental peak. At this point the athlete is most prepared for the rigors of their sport or activity.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

For an easy-to-use, quick reference guide of 135 clear photographs of every possible stretching exercise, for every major muscle group in your body, get a copy of The Stretching Handbook. You’ll also learn the benefits of flexibility; the rules for safe stretching; and how to stretch properly. Click here to learn more about The Stretching Handbook.

The above information forms the basis of a complete and effective warm up. However, I am well aware that this entire process is somewhat of an ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect’ warm up. I am also well aware that this is not always possible, or convenient in the real world. Therefore, the individual athlete must become responsible for assessing their own goals and adjusting their warm up accordingly.

For instance, the time you commit to your warm up should be relative to your level of involvement in your particular sport. So, for people just looking to increase their general level of health and fitness, a minimum of five to ten minutes would be enough. However, if you are involved in high level competitive sport you need to dedicate adequate time and effort to a complete warm up.

Copyright © 2010 The Stretching Institute™. Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury consultant with nearly 20 years experience in the health and fitness industry. For more free articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury, subscribe to The Stretching & Sports Injury Report by visiting The Stretching Institute.

Warning!

Certain precautions need to be taken when performing PNF stretches as they can put added stress on the targeted muscle group, which can increase the risk of soft tissue injury. To help reduce this risk, it is important to include a conditioning phase before a maximum, or intense effort is used.

Also, before undertaking any form of stretching it is vitally important that a thorough warm up be completed. Warming up prior to stretching does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity. One of the ways it achieves this is by helping to increase the body’s core temperature while also increasing the body’s muscle temperature. This is essential to ensure the maximum benefit is gained from your stretching. Click here for a detailed explanation of how, why and when to perform your warm up.

How to perform a PNF stretch

The process of performing a PNF stretch involves the following. The muscle group to be stretched is positioned so that the muscles are stretched and under tension. The individual then contracts the stretched muscle group for 5 – 6 seconds while a partner, or immovable object, applies sufficient resistance to inhibit movement. Please note; the effort of contraction should be relevant to the level of conditioning.

The contracted muscle group is then relaxed and a controlled stretch is applied for about 30 seconds. The muscle group is then allowed 30 seconds to recover and the process is repeated 2 – 4 times.

Information differs slightly about timing recommendations for PNF stretching depending on who you are talking to. Although there are conflicting responses to the question of how long should I contract the muscle group for and how long should I rest for between each stretch, I believe (through a study of research literature and personal experience) that the above timing recommendations provide the maximum benefits from PNF stretching.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

For an easy-to-use, quick reference guide of 135 clear photographs of every possible stretching exercise, for every major muscle group in your body, get a copy of The Stretching Handbook. You’ll also learn the benefits of flexibility; the rules for safe stretching; and how to stretch properly. Click here to learn more about The Stretching Handbook.

Copyright © 2010 The Stretching Institute™. Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury consultant with nearly 20 years experience in the health and fitness industry. For more free articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury, subscribe to The Stretching & Sports Injury Report by visiting
The Stretching Institute.

To learn what stretches for sciatica relief are and how they have an impact you must learn what sciatica is as well as what the discomfort is actually a result of. The sciatic nerve is the biggest, lengthiest nerve in the human anatomy and extends from the lower back down the remainder of the bottom half of the anatomy through each leg. There are five primary nerve endings which link to it.

Many medical professionals think that pain in the sciatic nerve is most probably a result of compaction in the muscle or generalized aggravation in that region, which is how come stretches for sciatica relief are able to provide some assistance with it. As you can guess, pain in this area is particularly challenging to manage because of how often individuals must move about on a daily basis – they need to utilize these muscles day in and day out.

Stretches for sciatica relief are able to alleviate the discomfort because they train individuals how to move their bodies in order to alleviate their pain, even if merely for a brief time. For a person who has an on the go way of life, stretches for sciatica relief can be among the few activities that enable them to get back to a normal existence.

Stretches for sciatica relief vary according to what the reason for the discomfort actually is. In the situation of hamstring discomfort, hamstring stretches for sciatica are employed. There are likewise various sciatica stretches for individuals with slipped discs, isthmic spondylolisthesis, sacroiliac joint disorder, degenerative disc disease, and also piriformis syndrome. However, regardless of the kind of pain, the stretches have something in common: they’re intended to ease pressure and tautness in muscles. Once the tautness goes away, frequently the individual finds relief for a certain amount of time without misery.

A person experiencing sciatica should try performing various stretches for sciatica relief – they can’t hurt if performed properly, and in most instances will do a lot of good.

Sciatic nerve pain stretches are exercises that are intended to help eliminate or manage pain that arises from the sciatic nerve. This discomfort takes place in various muscles in the human anatomy and it is thought to be induced due to pinching or aggravation of specific nerves. The sciatic nerve is actually the most sizable and lengthiest nerve in the anatomy and it extends through the entire bottom half, therefore any discomfort that’s related to that nerve is inclined to be a major problem. That’s how come so many individuals are disposed to try stretches for sciatic nerve pain treatment simply to be able to walk without agony.

When it pertains to stretches for sciatica relief, everything hinges on what form of actual sciatica pain a person experiences. There are really a number of different reasons for that pain and it all arises from various areas. There are sciatica stretches for individuals who have pain due to slipped discs. There are sciatic nerve pain stretches which are created for individuals with sacroiliac joint pain. There are also exercises for those who have piriformis syndrome or degenerative disc disease. Many of these exercises require an individual to lay down flat on their back and bring up their lower limbs so that the muscles have an opportunity to alleviate and expel any compaction that might be taking place.

A number of doctors do not truly believe that sciatic nerve pain stretches have very much of a permanent result whatsoever. This could be because the exercises themselves are not a genuine cure for the discomfort – they merely help alleviate some of it for a brief amount of time. And in certain instances the moves do not provide any sort of assuagement whatsoever, though no one is completely certain how come. All the same, for the many individuals that they do help, sciatic nerve pain stretches are something to check out.

Even as there are various kinds of discomfort with sciatica, there are various sciatica stretches also. A lot of individuals experience discomfort in their backbone due to degenerative disc disorder, or they might suffer from piriformis syndrome – yet whatever the kind of sciatica, there are stretching exercises for it.

For individuals who experience sciatica pain due to slipped discs, the initial component of their stretching exercises for sciatica requires lying face down on the floor. Next, they are required to raise up only their upper body so that the disc that’s aggravating or pinching the nerve can be shifted for a short while, which takes away the pinching.

Stretching exercises for sciatica resulting from spinal stenosis are a little different. Spinal stenosis pain is inclined to spread downwards through the body when walking, which means the misery only goes away when a person is seated. The initial component of a stretching exercise for sciatica which comprises spinal stenosis calls for the individual lying down on their back and bringing their legs up to their torso. They can also try sitting on their knees, butt contacting the toes, and bending forward to stretch the spinal muscles. This is among the best stretching exercises for sciatica resulting from spinal stenosis.

Discomfort resulting from piriformis syndrome, in the meantime, requires lying down on one’s back and raising one leg up, then pulling it to the chest. This form of pain arises from the muscle in the butt, so flexing it is the solution to easing any pinching or aggravation inside it. Individuals can also lie down on their back and raise their leg and draw it to the opposite side and maintain it like that for a few seconds.

Sciatic nerve pain stretches can be exceedingly useful for individuals who must manage pain daily.

The sciatic nerve is an extensive nerve which begins in the lower back in an individual’s anatomy and then extends down through each of the legs. It’s both the widest and lengthiest individual nerve in the whole human anatomy and serves virtually the entire body. This is how come undergoing sciatic nerve pain is such a big problem – a lot of the muscles utilized in day-to-day living are impacted by this nerve. That is also why sciatic nerve stretches are able to make such a big difference.

Most doctors concur that one of the most useful means to relieve the discomfort is to do stretching exercises for sciatica. The reason for this is that lots of times the discomfort is a result of either the nerves becoming pinched or the nerves becoming aggravated, and lots of times sciatic nerve stretches are able to help to completely relieve – or leastways diminish – these two issues. Because a lot of individuals who develop sciatica suffer from discomfort that is limited to a single region, they can actually do sciatic nerve stretches that are targeted to a single location in the anatomy where they feel the misery the most.

There are various sciatic nerve stretches an individual can perform depending on where their discomfort is arising from. There are sciatica stretches for ruptured intervertebral discs; there are stretches for chronic disc disease; there are exercises for spinal stenosis; there are even stretches for sacroiliac joint dysfunction and piriformis syndrome. What interconnects each of these moves is the fact that they’re intended to loosen the muscles in that particular region in order to get rid of the pain. In the case of spinal stenosis the moves stretch the spinal muscles. In the case of piriformis syndrome the muscles in the butt are flexed, and so forth.

Sciatic nerve stretches could be a highly useful method of alleviating – or even eradicating in a number of situations – the misery that goes along with sciatica.

Individuals who suffer from sciatica will experience pain that’s a result of compression or aggravation of one of the 5 nerve roots that attach to the sciatic nerve or by inflammation of the sciatic nerve itself. This discomfort is experienced in areas where it’s especially difficult to avoid – the lower back, butt, legs and feet. This misery can also be accompanied by problems such as muscular debilitation, a tingling sensation or even difficulty controlling the legs. These problems are normally restricted to a single side of the anatomy.

Many medical professionals think that sciatica pain is a result of stiff muscles or muscle imbalances. This means that in order to alleviate the discomfort, these imbalances need to be addressed and suitably controlled. Stretching of the unbalanced muscles of course results in the stiffness being let go and so a number of physicians prescribe physiotherapy – in this situation sciatica stretches – to individuals who experience the condition. Still, it should be mentioned that sciatica stretches have no effect whatsoever on the actual nerves so they’re not actually a remedy for much of the discomfort.

Individuals who have what’s referred to as “structurally induced sciatica pain”, which includes conditions like degenerative disc disease or a slipped disc, sciatica stretches will have no effect on the discomfort. Yet there are lots of individuals who truly do profit from these stretches. Sciatica stretches enhance blood circulation which increases cellular oxygenation. This helps ease some of the problems.

There are a number of different sciatica stretches that can be performed. There are a few stretches that let you exercise the piriformis, the muscles in the pelvic region. This is helpful since these muscles can produce a great deal of discomfort – they’re the ones you use when you turn your pelvis or lift your leg to the side. So experiencing discomfort in that location can genuinely create a great deal of pain on a daily basis which is how come sciatic nerve stretches that help alleviate discomfort in that location are so beneficial. And that’s only one illustration.

If you have misery due to sciatica, trying out sciatica stretches may be ideal for you.

Regardless of which form of sciatica you have, most medical professionals will suggest that you do hamstring stretches for sciatica. The reason is that the hamstring muscles are situated at the back of the upper legs, so stretching them out and loosening them helps to make flexing the knee and moving the pelvis a good deal more comfortable. The reverse is true too – tight hamstring muscles create stiffness and place strain on the lower spinal region, which aggravates every other form of sciatica too. That’s what makes hamstring stretches for sciatica such a fantastic activity – regardless of what form of agonizing sciatica you’re experiencing, sciatica stretches can help to relieve at the very least a moderate part of the acute discomfort that can accompany it. Remember, though, when performing these stretches, don’t bounce since it may set off very painful cramps.

Many hamstring stretches for sciatica call for the individual to be lying on their back. You should begin with the least stressful of the sciatica stretches, so first, attempt this easy one. Lie down on your back and support your upper leg by utilizing your hands or a towel positioned underneath the upper leg. Slowly straighten out the knee until you are able to feel it flexing. Attempt to have the bottom of the foot pointing to the ceiling and maintain that stance. Begin by maintaining the pose for ten seconds and work your way up to twenty or thirty seconds.

You might also try lying down on the ground with your butt against the wall. Put one leg on the ground and put the other against the wall and endeavor to press up the wall so that the knee joint straightens out. The stretch is maintained for ten seconds.

And these are merely the easiest ones – there are even more hamstring stretches for sciatica you can try out!