pharasz

I learned a stretching routine about 30 years ago, takes about 12 minutes, and I've been doing it three times a week ever since. At age 51 I can stil stand, straight legged, and touch the palms of my hands on the floor. Freaks people out when they see me demonstrate that.

Some basic priniciples of stretching (learned from books, articles, and 30 years of experience):

1. Hold each stretch for a MINIMUM of 30 seconds - NO BOUNCING. I count slowly to 60 for each stretch.
2. Stretch AFTER the workout, not before. Warming up is important at the start of a workout, not stretching. You will find your muscles are much looser and stretch much easier when warm and well worked.
3. Your muscles are tightest when you wake up in the morning, loosest in the evening, so stretch in the evening. Doesn't mean you can't stretch in the morning, it's just more painful and you won't be able to stretch as deeply. I like to stretch while watching TV in the evening - Makes me feel less guilty about wasting my life in front of a TV.
4. Have a routine. This works for me, but I know routines are not for everyone. A routine works for me because all I have to do is begin the first pose (I start with a straddle stretch) and from there I just step through each pose and count to 60. The whole thing is done in 12 minutes and you feel awesome when it's over.