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You will always be advised to make sure before you start any form of fitness training activity to carry out warm up exercises to lower the risk of injury later on. But to help further with your workout there are some other things you may wish to do to make it more enjoyable. Many people consider it unnecessary but people who do not perform stretching movements before and after a workout are more likely to hurt themselves. Ok so none of what I have said so far is a secret but you would be amazed how many people do not do it but were you aware that you should also continue this stretching at the end of a workout as the muscles are warm and more flexible.

For instance, stretching movements for a warm up only have to last a third of the time that the same movements do when you are doing a cool-down, so they need to last for about a minute. It is not advisable to stretch and then relax straight away but to return to the original position slowly. At the point of greatest stretch, hold the position before you slowly release, this avoids any potential strain or the possibility of injury from jerking your joints. If you work the exercises in stages it will be easier and build up to the hardest stretches as you warm-up, this will also ensure all your muscles receive equal attention.

For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out because stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one’s hand against the front of the head and pushing it; then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head. By performing stretching exercises, whether at the gym or not will increase both your flexibility but help increase your strength and improve your breathing and fitness training as well. Never try to compete with the abilities of others as this is a sure way to injure yourself; even if not at the time, you will almost certainly feel it later when you body has cooled down. Do not expect your body to be able to carry out the same exercises and level of training every time you go to the gym because some days you will have a better workout than others; this is perfectly normal and to be expected.

If you are someone who goes to the gym for fitness training every day then remember to alternate the muscle groups as they need to rest and grow for a day before being used again. Increasing your lung capacity, which means you won’t get out of breath so easily and heart improvement exercises like walking, running and rowing for instance are the best to start with and you will find weight machines much easier to use. It is well known that music makes exercise easier as the beat is something you can follow and these days the tiny mp3 players can be attached without too much bother. Make sure you get a decent pair of headphones though because you will probably want your music loud but not everyone else will want to listen to it. Stretching your body is a form of exercise in itself and a pleasant way to relax at the end of a hard day so it is worth doing regularly even if you do not want to workout.