The Do's and Don’ts of Stretching
While preparing for the pro cheerleader auditions, it's important to practice stretching as it improves your body’s flexibility.
Being flexible enables you to perform routines in their perfect form. Most importantly, it will prevent you from sustaining injuries while you're working out, performing for the judges on the big day, and dancing on the field.
In this article, we are going to cover some rules in stretching that you should always remember. There are right and wrong ways to stretch. Check them out below.
The Do’s of Stretching
1. Do stretch before and after a workout.
Before - A light pre-workout stretch warms up your muscles and reduces the risk of cramping and injuries. Your muscles’ tightness will be reduced, making your workouts more efficient and safe.
After - A post-workout stretch helps increase blood flow throughout your body. It lengthens your muscles as well.
2. Do mild stretches daily for 10 minutes a day.
For better results, include mild stretching exercises into your daily routine to improve your flexibility in the long run. A daily 10-minute stretching session will also let you work on your balance and strength. Feeling sore all the time? Those mild stretches help reduce soreness too.
3. Do breathe normally.
Relax and supply your muscles with oxygen by doing some stretches. As you stretch further, make sure to breathe in and out slowly and continuously. Don't experiment with weird or your own special breathing exercises that are not approved by the experts. Most importantly, don’t hold your breath!
4. Do hold intense stretching forms for under 10 seconds only.
Avoid muscle hypoxia - the lack of oxygen to the muscles. Insufficient oxygen only creates tension and as a result, makes you less flexible.
5. Do consult and seek advice from a health professional.
Before performing stretches, make sure you have no other health conditions that could worsen by stretching. If you do and want to pursue stretching and achieve better posture, consult your doctor or physician for advice and proper stretching forms for your condition.
The Don’ts of Stretching
1. Don’t bounce while stretching.
Sudden bouncing movements can cause your muscles to tighten. As a result, you're more likely to pull or tear a tendon or muscle fiber. Ballistic stretching movements should only be performed under the supervision of a qualified and professional coach.
2. Don’t push yourself to the level of pain.
Once you feel a searing pain while stretching, you’ll know that you're doing it wrong. Slowly revert to your base form. Perform the CORRECT figure again until you feel mild discomfort and hold for 15 to 30 seconds then return to your base form. Continue tomorrow until you can tolerate a higher pain threshold. Your current flexibility will indicate your limits.
3. Don’t stretch an injured area.
This is common sense. You don’t want to make things worse, like stretching an area that’s already in a bad condition. Better yet, consult a physician. Stretching should cause a mild feeling of discomfort, not pain.
4. Don’t stretch as soon as you wake up.
Your spine swells with fluid while you sleep. Therefore, you should avoid stretching your back first thing in the morning. Your risk of injury is heightened if you stretch right away. Wait at least an hour. You can also warm your muscles up by performing simple house tasks.
5. Don’t stretch if you’re already flexible.
If you're as flexible as a gymnast, there’s no need to perform additional stretches. But do maintain your current and ideal flexibility by doing those stretches that your body already deems to be normal.
After a stretching routine, ALWAYS cool yourself down to allow your muscles to relax and recover. Be sure to have a healthy protein diet to support your body's needs. Remember that stretching is a warmup and recovery exercise so don’t overdo yourself.
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Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.
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