Stretching is Not Optional

Stretching to many professional athletes is a necessary and vital part to success in their physical activities. Are you the type of athlete that stretches before you begin a workout? Do you make sure that you are adequately warmed up prior to that first 5-mile run or 10-mile bike ride? If so, then you understand how important it is to prep your body before entering in to any physical activities, especially a triathlon. The body is a complex organism that requires a lot of care and preparation before it is pushed to the extent of its physical capabilities. Ligaments, muscles, joints, and bones work together to form a cohesive unit that has numerous possibilities. However, there is a lot of debate over whether it is better to stretch warm or cold. The truth is, as long as you do not push your cold muscles too hard in a pre-workout stretch, it is better for your body to gain that little bit of warm-up before engaging in anything else. How does this relate to a triathlon like Tri for the Cure you might ask? Well, lets analyze where flexibility comes into play. Of the three sports, the swim and bike muscles need extra attention. For swimming, powerful shoulder muscles need to go through a wide range of motion while delivering a significant amount of force to propel you forward. It is important to keep the shoulders in the best condition. Although not immediately coming to mind, your ankles need flexibility too during the swim. To reduce your drag, your ankles need to stay as flat as possible. During the bike portion, repeated contraction of your hamstrings will, over time, limit the flexibility of them, which will cause you to lose performance from tight hamstrings. This also occurs with a tight lower back. With the variety of different activities involved in a triathlon, stretching is a necessity to keep racers from becoming tight and not performing their best. Make sure you check out some of our other triathlon tips and tricks and Coach Melissa's training plans on http://triforthecure-denver.com/, and we will hope to see you on race day!