Do your hamstrings feel like a nicely tightened guitar string that makes you sing loud notes when you try and touch your toes? Do you write certain exercises on your “things I could only do when I was twenty” list? Well it maybe time for a stretch.
Stretching is just as important as exercise and nutrition, although it doesn’t get the spotlight as often. As we get older, our muscles shorten and lose the elasticity it once had in our youth. (Your probably holding your back saying, “I know, I know!”. Stretching reduces the risk of muscle spasms and soreness. It also increases the blood flow to muscles and improves range of motion. Truthfully, the benefit of exercise is thwarted if a given muscle can not go through it’s full range before contracting! 
So here’s is somethings to consider. Studies have shown that stretching a muscle for 1 minute produces the same result if you’d stretch it for 30 seconds. Stretching for 30 seconds brings that muscle a new length, but it has too be done daily to eventually become permanent. Its not necessary to stretch before exercise, (unless a particular muscle is very tight) but definitely necessary to stretch after exercise. You should not look like someone is torturing you when stretching, as the stretch is supposed to feel comfortable, and not agonizing. Lastly, knowing how and what muscle to stretch is paramount, so if you don’t know, its best to seek professional advice before doing so.
What do you think? Email me!
All the best and God Bless,
Ammo Athletics