Have you been stretching? Stretching is one part of exercising that a lot of us let slip out of our routine. The thing is that stretching is actually really, really good for injury prevention as well as calming you (and your muscles) down after a good workout.

For a great list of stretching protocols, visit RealBuzz.com [1]. In the meantime here are some highlights [2] on what you should and shouldn't be doing:
Do . . .

• Ensure that the muscles being stretched are thoroughly warmed-up
• Stretch at the end of your training session
• Relax
• Breathe easily
• Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds
• Follow an all-over body program for stretching to avoid postural imbalances
• Follow correct technique – see the realbuzz.com guide ‘Exercises & Stretches - The no-nonsense guide’ for detailed stretching information and photographs
• Avoid pain, stretching should NEVER be painful!

For the don'ts, just

Don’t . . .

• Try and stretch cold muscles – it’s a recipe for injury
• Stretch before your warm-up or workout
• Bounce or rock whilst holding a stretch – you could overstretch and cause an injury
• Hold a stretch for just a few seconds
• Hold your breath
• Focus on just leg stretches or just upper body stretches

Source [3]