Megzz Wins At Life

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Yesterday for lunch I had a big o’l bowl of Oatmeal with strawberries and it was delish!

Dinner was fast and simple. 1 cup of Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Basil Soup and a 1/2 Organic peanut Butter and Strawberry preserves Sandwich.

Back to work today.. So I had a Thomas’s Light Whole Grain English Muffin and Strawberry preserves along with a 1/2 Strawberry Stonyfield Yogurt.

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Why stretching is Important

One thing I don’t do enough of is stretching. I know it is good for me, I know I should do it, I know it will help me but after a hard run or workout I just don’t want to; to be perfectly honest. From my research most people feel the same way as me. Yesterday I did intense interval training on the treadmill for an hour and then hopped on the stair-master for 20 minutes. When I got home I had the most intense  lower back pain. I don’t fully blame my workout for this pain I also think it could also account to the six hours I spent in a car on Sunday.

 After doing some research I learned my lower back pain (where all my pain is) could be because I don’t stretch out my hamstrings enough. “Our hamstrings connect our knees to our pelvis, and when these very important muscles are not used they will tighten and pull the pelvis from its normal position”. (associatedcontent.com) Stretching lengthens the hamstring muscles, improving flexibility, and relieving the tension against the pelvis and the back.

 Two Ways to Stretch Your Hamstrings are:

1. Stretching your hamstrings can be as simple as standing with your legs straight and bending over at the waist to touch your toes.

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight and flat. As you did when standing, try to touch your toes, bending your midsection over your thighs to increase your reach.

Don’t stretch until you feel pain, but keep a steady uncomfortable pressure on your hamstrings for ten to thirty seconds. A sudden, sharp pain is a sign that you’re damaging your hamstrings and overdoing your stretching.

 You should not stretch just your hamstrings you should stretch all your muscles before and after a workout. Health.com suggests stretching each muscle for 10-15 seconds before a workout and 30-60 seconds after a workout depending on the muscle. When you stretch before a workout your muscles loosen up. “Stretching allows more oxygen to reach the muscles, which in turn promotes stronger ligaments as well.” When you tighten up and relax the muscles it allows for better blood circulation.
After your workout it is even more important to get a good stretch in. “After you are finished workout your muscle tense up again, so by doing a pos exercise stretching it will allow your muscles to loosen up

 Women’s Health recommends women should stretch a few times a day even if they do not workout everyday. They recommend stretching in the morning and at night so your body becomes more flexible.
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I am challenging myself to wake up 10 minutes earlier everyday and stretch EVERYDAY for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening.

Let me know if anyone else wants to join in the Stretch Challenge.

Here are a few of the stretches that are recommended doing daily.

Question: How do you feel about stretching, do you love it? hate it? Do you feel you stretch enough??