The Power of Stretching :: Sports Running Stretch Exercise Essays

The Power of StretchingThe m wholenessy and the fame be irrelevant really. Im just a hamstring away from oblivion youve got to tone of voice at it like that. ---- Steve Jones Running is the oldest and most popular sports in the world. Most runners feel that running is fairly simple, when in reality it is real complex. Running is one of the only sports that gives the whole body a work out. Leg strength and cardiovascular endurance play huge roles in the success of a runner, scarcely they are not the only things that measure ones running ability. Upper body strength and back support are also important in running. Since athletess bodies are made up entirely of muscle, they must exercise often in order to take care of themselves and prevent injuries. Muscles are like any new(prenominal) thing in the world, the more you use them the stronger they get. Running long distances is strenuous on the muscles and if they are over worked and under cared for they can be damaged. Running cause s the muscles that are active to become strong and less flexible, whereas the opposing muscles that are relatively under used become weaker. When muscles are being used they expand and covenant often. If the muscles were not used in a while they usually get sore from the work out. Since muscles are the most important part of being athletic, square-toed care should go into maintaining them. Stretching before and after runs is a perfect way to care for your muscles. WHAT IS STRETCHING?The three main reason why stretching is so beneficial to a runners body is it reduces the risk of injury, prevents muscle soreness after exercise, and it improves athletic performance. What is actually happening to the body during a stretch is very complex. Each muscle contains stretch receptors which attach themselves to the working part of the muscle called, muscle fibers. The stretch receptors measure the degree of the stretch, sending a message by dint of the spinal cord to the nerves that contro l the contraction of the muscle where the receptors are. As the runner stretches more intensely the receptors begin to send out pulses harder and more rapidly. These pulses choke a certain frequency, and the stretched muscle contracts and shortens, preventing overstretching. STRETCHING INJURIESUnfortunately, stretching is not done willingly by runners. Even though it would only take an extra louvre to ten minutes on top of the one or two hour run, most runners choose to skip stretching.