Stretching Routine, Warm up and cool down

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STRETCHING ROUTINE

Warm up and cool down:

A successf ul exercise program consists of a warm-up, aerobic exercise, and a cool-down. Do the entire program at least two and pref erably three times a week, resting for a day between workouts. After sev eral months, you can increase y our workouts to four or f ive times per week.

Warming up is an important part of your workout, and should begin ev ery session. It prepares y our body f or more strenuous exercise by heating up and stretching out your muscles, increasing y our circulation and pulse rate, and delivering more oxy gen to y our muscles. At the end of y our workout, repeat these exercises to reduce sore muscle problems. We suggest the warm-up and cool-down exercises on the following pages:

Toe Touch:

Slowly bend f orward from y our waist, letting y our back and shoulders relax as y ou stretch toward y our toes. Reach down as far as you can and hold f or 15 counts.

Inner Thigh Stretch:

Sit with the soles of y our f eet together with y our knees pointing outward. Pull y our f eet as close into y our groin as possible. Gently push

y our knees towards the floor. Hold f or 15 counts.

Side Stretch:

Open y our arms to the side and continue lifting them until they are ov er y our head. Reach your right arm as far upward toward the ceiling as y ou can f or one count. Feel the stretch up y our right side. Repeat this action with y our left arm.

Head Roll:

Rotate y our head to the right f or one count, feeling the stretch up the left side of your neck. Next, rotate your head back for one count, stretching y our chin to the ceiling and letting your mouth open. Rotate y our head to the left

f or one count, and f inally, drop y our head to y our chest f or one count.

Shoulder Lift:

Lift your right shoulder up toward y our ear f or one count. Then lift y our left shoulder up for one count as y ou lower y our right shoulder.

Hamstring Stretch:

Sit with your right leg extended. Rest the sole of y our left foot against your right inner thigh. Stretch toward y our toe as far as possible. Hold for 15 counts. Relax and then repeat with left leg extended.

Calf-Achilles Stretch:

Lean against a wall with y our left leg in front of the right and y our arms f orward. Keep y our right leg straight and the left foot on the floor; then bend the left leg and lean

f orward by mov ing y our hips toward the wall. Hold, and then repeat on the other side f or 15 counts.