A Focus On Flexibility

There is only one way to build muscle and that is through tearing and ripping of the muscle fiber. It sounds rough but it is easily done one of two ways, either you can contract the muscle with increased resistance or you can pull the fibers apart through abduction.

Most people are aware of the first method, and people generally have a cursory knowledge about the second. So it is important to illuminate just how effective and worthwhile stretches can actually be.

Low intensity exercise, this is the base of stretching even though it will make you stronger and faster, and presumably more attractive, it is going to do all of this without causing a single bead of sweat to befall your tender brow. Okay, that is not entirely true, it will do all those things but it depends on what kind of stretching you are doing and how hard you are working that determines the amount of sweat beads dotting your forehead, besides some people are just prone to sweat.

Obviously if you are keeping it at a very low intensity then sweat isn't going to be a problem, maybe you will experience a bit of a rush of blood or a slight fuzzy feeling in your head but as long as it is low steam you won't get sweat. Though, some aerobic routines that are specifically set around stretching, like yoga, Pilates, tai chi, are going to create a load of sweat.

Within a single session of yoga you can burn up to a thousand calories, this is dependent upon what kind of yoga you are doing and how hard you are exerting yourself. That shows that stretching is a great way to tone the body.

Since you are not actually packing muscle mass you will keep a lean physique, which is what most the women in the world are striving to acquire these days. Many men too fear getting beefy, not all men but some, and stretching is going to be a great way to strengthen your muscles without building them.

However for those of you who are concerned about muscular enlargement stretching is for you as well. Stretching and training work synergistically with one another: when you train with weights you are working your muscles through adduction and when your stretch you work them in the opposite manner through abduction.

It is always important to hit your muscles from all angles to promote healthy, even muscle distribution and development. This will even speed up the process of muscle building, so it is a win, win.

Start stretching today, it doesn't matter who you are, flexibility is going to provide a great benefit to your life. Good luck, live long and prosper, and may the force be with you.