Don't Skip Stretching

Stretching may seem like a waste, especially if you have only a small amount of time to workout, but it is essential to a proper workout regimen. Not only is it important that you stretch before your workout but it is perhaps more important to stretch post workout.

So lets say your workout of the day concentrates on your legs. You want to stretch each group of muscles for a minimum of 2 minutes. The most efficient way to stretch is called Self Myofacial Release, or foam rolling. This is a similar way of lengthening the muscles like a message therapist would do. For your quadriceps you want to begin one leg on the foam roll, facing the floor, and beginning at the hip flexor. Slowly begin to roll down the quad toward the patella tendon. Make sure that while foam rolling you are as relaxed as possible, otherwise this would be a waste of time. When you get to a particularly sensitive, maybe even painful, part of the rolling process pause for 30 seconds to allow the adhesion to release. Once the knot, or adhesion, dissipates continue to roll slowly until your entire quad has been rolled at least twice.

Make sure not to roll too quickly over the muscle because this will create an opposite affect, possibly tightening muscles more than releasing them.

Post workout follow the same techniques. Treat each grouping of muscles separately. This will jump start the muscle regeneration process so that when you workout again you will not be too sore to walk.

In addition to Self Myofacial Release stretch as you would for a total body workout. Also, have a warm-up and cool-down of 2-5 minutes.

Stretching, foam rolling and rest are as important as the workout itself. Without these pre and post workout routines you will not get the most out of your workout!