When your muscles are warm and relaxed! You should stretch after you have done a general body warm up of about 5-10 minutes. Marching or jogging on the spot in order to get the heart rate and body temperature up can do the trick.  

Dynamic stretches are used prior to walking and they are essential in preparing your muscles for the quick movements that occur with walking.   Static stretches, on the other hand, are more useful to improve your overall flexibility and are most effectively done after you have finished your workout.

Rules for Dynamic Stretching:

• Warm up your body first, then stretch while your muscles are still warm and do not let your body cool down before starting your walk or exercise.
• Move through your range of movement, keeping control of the movement with your muscles.  Do not allow momentum to control the movement by "flinging" or "throwing" your body parts around.
• You may feel light resistance in your muscles, but you should never feel pain during a stretch.
• Start with slow, low intensity movements, and gradually progress to full-speed movements through range of motion. Complete these motions for several repetitions (10-15 times.)

Rules for Static Stretching:

• Be sure to stretch while the muscles are still warm (soon after your walk or exercise).
• Slowly take your muscles to the end of their range.  You will feel slight resistance in the muscle, but you should never feel pain during a stretch.
• Hold the stretch in a static position.  Do not bounce.
• Maintain each stretch for 20-30 seconds.  Repeat each stretch 3-4 times.

Click here to view several stretches to use for your walking or exercise routine

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.  

Please find our contact information below and feel free to reach out to us at any time!