Stretching on Shine

Secrets to workout success: Do you really need to stretch?

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The time we designate to exercise is precious, particularly when we have commutes, carpools, cooking, and six-thousand other things to squeeze into our schedules. Every single moment, from jumping into your yoga pants to racing to the treadmill from the locker room, counts.

When I finally get to the actual exercise, I want to pack in as much sweating, calorie-burning, and de-stressing as I can into my thirty minutes or hour. I admit, that means I often breeze past or even skip stretching. I want to go and then I want to stop, making the few minutes it takes to ease my muscles in and out of the exercise seem like a big pain.

"The Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper says this is a mistake. Stretching to both warm up and cool down the muscles is critical for a successful workout. Here, Bob explains:

Biggest Loser - Bob's Workout Secret #2: Stretching @ Yahoo! Video

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Namaste

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I have flirted with yoga over the years, taking a class here and there (including a brief dalliance with a Bikram "hot yoga" studio; my main memory of that has to do with struggling not to pass out in a pool of my own sweat) but never making much of a commitment to it. I kept getting bored...

Fresh Fitness Tips: You asked for it!

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Thanks for the great questions. Keep them coming!!!!! Lebier wrote: Is it still a good idea to stretch after doing yoga & pilates? Both seem like they stretch me out a lot as it is. Answer: Most of us skimp on stretching. I'm guilty! However, yoga and pilates classes do a good job of...