Healthful Tips

Stretch it out

Stretch at various points during the day to improve your flexibility and strength. When you wake up, stretch hip flexors, quadriceps and neck muscles - these muscles are often tight in the mornings because of the way you sleep. Before a workout, it's best to do light calisthenics, such as squat thrusts, push-ups, sit-ups and deep knee bends. After a workout, stretch all muscles used in the workout. In the evenings before bed, stretch hamstrings, lower back and glutes - long hours at your desk tightens these areas.

In just nine minutes, do various forms of stretching to improve the quality of your fascia, the tissue that covers your muscle fibres. When you do, the knots untangle and blood flows through those tissues more freely. This will help to reduce post-workout soreness to maximise your next exercise session.