​IonLoop Urges You to Stretch Before AND After a Workout

At IonLoop, our products are catered to those who love leading active lifestyles. In some cases, this might mean professional athletes, especially pro golfers who are often spotted sporting IonLoop negative ion bracelets on the green. Other clients are amateurs who enjoy participating or competing in sports -- either as part of a team or solo. Of course, many of our loyal fan base is made up of folks who embrace fitness and strive to lead healthy, active lives.

Ultimately, our negative ion and magnetic bracelets are a great fit for just about anyone, regardless of athletic ability or ambition. But, no matter where you fall on that spectrum, we’re here to encourage you to embrace proper, daily stretching before and after your workout.

Ready, Set, Stretch!

You’ve no doubt witness professional athletes stretching on the sidelines before a big game or ahead of the starting line. But stretching shouldn’t be seen as something reserved for only the serious enthusiasts or super elites. When it comes to the importance of stretching, according to David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, "A lot of people don't understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be daily.”

When you consider the number of people who have sedentary jobs, meaning those performed behind a desk, it’s no wonder that so many are at risk of inflexibility, muscle weakness, and even injury. Consider this: Dr. Timothy Church, chief medical officer at ACAP Health Consulting, in a recent article for Healthline, reported that “In 1960, 1 out of 2 Americans had a job that was essentially exercise. That’s plummeted. Now, conservatively, it’s less than 20 percent.”

Neglecting to stretch your muscles on a regular basis means that they are not ready to spring into action when it comes to practically anything more strenuous than sitting.

Skipping a daily stretch results in shorter, tighter muscles that eventually struggle to extend, which paves the way for strains and possible damage to muscle tissue or joints. Committing to routine stretching helps lengthen your muscles, keeping them flexible enough for a range of activities.

Stretch Smarter

Nolan advises that “The areas critical for mobility are in your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh."

But, he cautions that you do need to keep the long game in mind: “It may have taken you many months to get tight muscles, so you're not going to be perfectly flexible after one or two sessions… It takes weeks to months to get flexible, and you'll have to continue working on it to maintain it."

Proper form is key to smart stretching, which should start with a warm-up like a brisk 5-10 minute walk. Aim to hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds, during which you should feel some tension, but not pain. If you do struggle to maintain the stretch because of pain, contact your medical practitioner to rule out injury.