Best stretches for utilising your off days

May 7, 2015 9:55 PM

Taking a little time off to give your body a chance to recuperate and recharge is essential but your recovery will be faster if you keep active.

Stretching before exercise

Rest should be one of the most important parts of your day.

Sadly, most of us are just too busy for this. If you want to get stronger, you have to rest.

On that lucky day when you have time to catch some rest, some stretching exercises are in order.

Your muscles need time to repair themselves, which is when the strengthening actually happens.

Taking a little time off to give your body a chance to recuperate and recharge is essential but your recovery will be faster if you keep active.

Get your blood flowing to help feed your weary muscles, and take yourself for a 20-minute stroll, then give your muscles some TLC.

Here's some simple prescriptions for making the most of your rest day.

Roll

A weekly massage would be great for your body but not so great for your wallet. Instead, invest in a foam roller for some DIY muscle relief.

Rolling out smooth knotted muscles and prime tight spots for stretching. Here are three resources to kick off your massage session.

Stretch

After walking and rolling, lengthen tight muscles with some stretching. Pick one or two stretches for each body part, and hold your stretches for 30 seconds each.

Some basic stretches include:

Hamstring stretches
Calf stretches
Quad stretches
Glute stretches
Back stretches

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