Taking the time to stretch at the end of every workout will give you the benefits of improved range of motion and recovery.

After you have finished your conditioning and or cardiovascular activity, take a moment to relax your body and mind. When you are ready to stretch, get yourself into a comfortable position for no less than thirty seconds and up to sixty seconds. Remember not to bounce, just relax and take deep controlled breaths and sink into your stretch.

The stretching should be done up to a point of moderate discomfort if the goal is to improve range of motion. Visualize your muscles, tendons, and ligaments lengthening. I know this will sound corny, but don’t just stretch, become the stretch and become one with your body, breathing and relaxing within the stretch. Just as you put focus into your strength training to improve yourself, have the same effort with your stretching. Try to remember what you did last week and gently push yourself to improve upon it. It won’t take long before you notice significant gains in your range of motion.

If you do end up stretching for less than thirty seconds you will still receive benefits, just not as much especially in your range of motion. You will still help eliminate waste products from your muscles, which will help your recovery time from your workout. So I do suggest taking a few extra seconds and improve on your range of motion. It’s worth it, because you are worth it.