Stretching for general fitness purposes requires special cautions. It is easy for athletes and sportspersons to follow precise instructions than for commoners. Individuals who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and body fitness must beware of the right kind of exercises. Any wrong physical movement can lead to a severe injury in the long run.
Stretching has three major types that cater to particular needs. Stretching for general fitness purposes depends upon many factors. But, a person must be familiar with three types of stretching before starting an exercise regime.
Three Types of Stretching for General Fitness Purposes
Following are three broad categories of stretching.
- Static Stretching
- Dynamic Stretching
- Ballistic Stretching
Not all these types mentioned above are suitable for the general fitness purposes. The advanced formats can have repercussions that often outweigh the benefits.
Dynamic and Ballistic Stretching is best suited for the athletes and sportspersons. Contrary to this, static stretching serves the general fitness purposes.
Static Stretching for General Fitness Purposes
Static Stretching is perfect for general fitness purposes. The exercise only follows the relaxation and contraction of the muscles. Of this kind, a person just pulls the muscles of arms, legs and other body parts while keeping them in a static position. The duration of relaxation and contraction varies and depends upon whether the person is a beginner or a pro. Those who have just started following a fitness regime, need to do static stretching for a brief period.
In initial stages, one can try contracting for 20 seconds and then relax. In advanced staged contractions can even last for 60 seconds.
Static stretching doesn’t require complex body movements. But, still, there is a need of warm up. Usually, five to 10 minutes jogging and walking as warm-up exercise is enough for starting the static stretching.
Adopting Variations in Static Stretching
Well, static stretching is not all about the mere relaxing and contracting of muscles. A person who looks to follow general self-care tips for health and fitness must be ready for experimenting variations in static stretching.
This type usually has two kinds, the active stretching, and passive stretching.
In the active stretching is more common exercise for general fitness purposes. It this kind, a person undergoes different movements of the muscles to stretch the body actively. This type is all about appropriately utilizing antagonism of muscles.
Passive stretching requires using aid in the form of a partner of some stationary object. Of this type, there is a risk of injury because it relies on a partner who might be unstable or show negligence. If the partner loses balance, the person may fall on the ground, resulting in severe injury.
So, active stretching is a suitable exercise for fulfilling the general fitness purposes.
