by Kate Strong, World Champion, Long-distance Women’s Triathlon
The Importance Of A Great S-T-R-E-T-C-H Routine
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going – Jim Ryun
I am a sucker for books, not downloaded content from iTunes or on your kindle, but the real paper variety. I love visiting independent bookshops and scrolling through the titles randomly selecting my next companion for my trips, to sit loyally on my bedside table and sneak into my handbag whilst out dining alone. I adore the smell of a new book as I turn the first page and the feeling of a well-loved book where the stains and marks on the pages are as completing a story as the content.
I digress… I’m losing myself in another passion!
What never ceases to amaze me is the number of self-help books available in the book stores. It seems almost daily there is a new author and title promising great transformation in just 30-days. The area of your life promised to change varies wildly; from weight management, career, relationship with your partner or children… Whatever complication in life, there is a book to assist.
What drew my attention to these books, is the vast majority of their content speaks of one commonality: they all focus of a set period of time to break an old habit and introduce a new and hopefully better one.
This got me thinking about what actions I wanted to create as second nature that would enrich my life. Could I add a task to my daily routine that would benefit me?
Currently, I wake up, check social media on my phone (terrible, I know!), shower, brush my teeth and get dressed almost on auto-pilot; why not add a 10-minute task that will benefit my body to this routine? Social media is checked automatically, and I have only had an on-line presence for 3 years, so there must have been a day without this sub-conscious action…
One area I know I lack the willpower to complete regularly is stretching. The jury is still out whether your muscles greatly benefits from stretching. Some articles state that dynamic stretching is required, or stretching after exercise because the muscles are warm, or static stretching 15 minutes prior to exercise… the variables are endless. It is easy to get lost in the research and justify doing nothing!
I personally feel a benefit from stretching. I do feel more flexible and when I stretch regularly, I notice an improvement in overall flexibility, which might reduce the possibility of sustaining an injury. Using this motivation, I have created a 10-minute stretching routine that I can do pretty much anywhere and don’t require any equipment.
The ten stretches focus on the main muscles used in swimming, cycling and running; which covers your whole body pretty much!
The key is to carry out these stretches daily for 30-days and instill this activity as routine; something I complete without thinking and with minimal effort.
Are you going to take up the 30-day stretching challenge with me? Please let me know how you did!
Kate Strong
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