Why Do You Need To Stretch Before A Workout

Stretching is an essential and an integral part of every workout program,
especially mobility stretches because flexibility is considered to be part of
the five most important components of everyone’s fitness It should be
included in all regular training regimes and these are the main reason why:
Reduction of Injury Risk
When a person is flexible they reduce their risk of becoming injured
from extensive movements and this allows you to safely increase your
range of joint movement and motion.
Stretching helps to stop the degeneration of your joints and muscles.
The act of stretching your muscles loosens up and prepares the body
for the impact of exercise; this reduces the chance of any injury. A
strong muscle that is pre-stretched is better able to resist stress than
an un-stretched muscle.
Stretching helps to improve a person’s posture, especially stretching
the shoulders, chest and lower back. The flexibility gained from
stretching in the hip flexors, hamstrings and muscles attached to the
pelvis help to relieve stress on the spine and nerves of the back
reducing the chances of lower back pain.
The body’s stress levels can decrease with stretching because as they
warm up they hold less tension, this allows your muscles to relax
properly. Muscles that are always tense tend to cut off much of their
own blood circulation causing oxygen starvation and damage.
Mobility stretches improve the mechanical efficiency and
performance of joints because it makes them more energy efficient,
they will also improve your “body awareness” and increase your
body’s ability to learn and perform different types of skilled
movements.