by KALPANA SHARMA(TOI)

A recent study has claimed that stretching before a work-out is not of any use. While gym instructors make it a mandatory cycle to stretch body parts before exercising, this study has raised some serious doubts.

As a rule people stretch before initiating strenuous exercises. But, if this study is to be believed, can we now do away with stretching? Fitness experts totally refute the claim and instead lay a lot of emphasis on stretching. Celebrity fitness guru Leena Mogre claims, “Stretching gets important with age. It is important to first loosen up the muscles before stressing them out.”

But to many fitness freaks, this news comes as a breather. Says Ritesh Sharma, “My fitness goal is to build muscles, but stretching and my warm-up routine eats up a lot of my exercise time. I literally drag myself through it. Infact my trainer never lets me pump weights before making me do stretching and cardio for at least 20 minutes.”

Fitness expert Deanne Pandey opines, “Nothing is bigger than nature’s own signs. Every morning when you wake up, before getting off the bed you stretch and it makes you feel better. This is the simple logic that applies to work-outs as well. You have to stretch yourself, so there is blood flow minimizing chances of injury.”

Not only is stretching beneficial in avoiding injury, but also helps in losing weight. Power yoga instructor Dinesh Dagar says, “I totally disagree with the study. Power yoga is all about stretching your body parts, which ultimately leads to flexibility and strength building. And I have many students who lost weight just be doing power yoga thrice a day.”

So what is the right way to kick start a work-out regime? Deanne advises, “There are two elements involved. One is warm-up and the other is dynamic stretching. Warm-up includes treadmill, cycling, spot jogging, skipping or any other movement, while dynamic stretching involves rotation and static stretches. It lubricates the joints and reduces the chance of injury or muscle pull.”

Here are few stretching tips that you can follow:

1. Hold every stretch for 15-30 seconds

2. Do not hold your breath while stretching. You must breathe in and out slowly. Take deeper breaths

3. Whenever your muscles feel tight, you must stretch. Even if it means doing it during the workout.

4. If you are feeling pain while stretching a body part, do not over stress. Stretch as much is comfortable and gradually you will see improvement

So, till the time researchers are able to truly validate their claims, keep stretching!

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