Stretching exercises for weight loss: does stretching help you lose weight?

The whole world is concerned about the problem of excess weight. There are a large number of ways to get rid of centimeters in the waist and hips. And today we will talk about a fairly effective, although not very popular method - stretching. Why can stretching for losing weight in your legs be quite effective, and what mistakes should you avoid? What are its health benefits? How to combine exercises with strength training?

Stretching for weight loss helps the fair sex not only to reduce volume, but also to increase the body's endurance, make muscles long and elastic. In this article, we will share with you what stretching affects in addition to weight loss, and how to do it correctly.

Benefits of muscle stretching techniques

• Representatives of Chinese medicine believe that stretching literally prolongs life. After all, performing stretching poses is a prevention of arthritis and arthrosis. The exercises will also be useful for people with salt deposits in the joints.
• Reviews from women claim that regular exercise helps get rid of menstrual pain.
• Helps improve posture, increase endurance and allows a person to learn to feel their body better.
• Beginning fitness enthusiasts should definitely include stretching in their training program. It will help to avoid an overly pronounced muscle pattern and will not allow the muscles to “clog” and become puffy.

Why you should stretch if you have bad posture

We have already said that morning exercises with isometric and dynamic exercises, in addition to helping you lose weight, improve your posture. But why is it so important to stretch in this case? The fact is that muscles tend to contract over time, which provokes deterioration of posture. And this, in turn, leads to limitation of human movements. For example:

• Representatives of the fair sex who regularly wear heels are susceptible to this. The fact is that when you constantly wear such shoes, the calf muscles become shortened due to the fact that they are constantly in a contracted state.
• The hip flexors are among the tightest muscles in the human body. And considering that most of us lead a sedentary lifestyle...
• Fingers are prone to curling because they are in a bent position when eating, driving, and writing or typing text.

And, of course, morning stretching helps you lose weight. Of course, you won't lose several kilograms a week, but stretching:

• improves metabolism;
• will make joints more mobile (due to which your cardio and strength training will be more effective, because the muscles will work with greater efficiency);
• improves blood and lymph circulation, which is no less important when fighting excess weight (after all, fluid retention in the body and swelling visually add a couple of kilos);
• Helps the body recover faster after quality training.

The importance of motivation

The reasons that make you think about physical activity are varied:

• I want to lose weight and wear tight clothes;
• health problems, because physical activity has a positive effect on normalizing blood pressure, lowering sugar levels in diabetes, speeding up metabolism, which helps to lose weight;
• excess weight prevents you from living a full life; it is difficult to walk and climb stairs.

Having motivation is a good incentive to start practicing. This will help you persevere in achieving results.

Stretching reduces appetite

A very strange statement, but let's look at it from different angles. Morning stretching, like its evening version, helps calm your raging appetite. Remember how often you pounced on food after a hard day at work? It has long been known that when we eat quickly, we eat more food, which, in the absence of physical activity, leads to weight gain.

American trainers believe that if people do 15-20 minutes of stretching before eating, they will eat more calmly, chewing food more thoroughly. Accordingly, they will eat faster and will be able to avoid overeating and subsequent stomach discomfort.

Stretching is useful not only for losing weight in the abdomen or calf muscles. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system and our mood. Therefore, it allows you to avoid the desire to “seize” difficulties in a relationship with a loved one or problems at work.

Exercises without active movements

Classes take place in a calm atmosphere. They do not require active movements. Rather, on the contrary, when performing tasks, sudden and quick actions are not recommended, as they can lead to damage to tendons and ligaments.

Classes are suitable for anyone who wants to lose weight or simply tighten their muscles. Training does not require endurance, patience, or struggle with your internal state.

Stretching may be reminiscent of yoga exercises. They can be performed by young mothers after a cesarean section, people in the early post-traumatic period, after operations, or any illnesses.

Stretching resembles yoga and is approved for training nursing mothers and after cesarean section

This group of classes is suitable for those for whom other types of exercise are contraindicated. It is advisable to perform initial training under the supervision of a trainer; after detailed explanations, you can practice at home.

Exercise may be accompanied by slight discomfort, especially if there has been virtually no physical activity before. There should be no pain. This may indicate overextension of the ligaments. No additional tools are required for the exercises. It is enough to use a carpet or mat. Clothing should be loose so as not to interfere with movements.

How to stretch properly

There are several basic rules, following which you can achieve weight loss, avoid injury and effectively stretch your muscles:

• All stretching movements must be performed very slowly, listening to your body. You shouldn't feel much pain when doing them. Increase the load gradually. No need to grit your teeth and try to do the splits in a couple of sessions!
• For your exercises to bear fruit, training must be regular. For beginners - 2-3 times a week. At the same time, experts believe that it is much more effective to stretch after strength training or intense cardio.
• If you want to do only stretching, then move actively before the exercises: you can dance or run in place, do a warm-up familiar from physical education lessons. This way you will not only lose additional weight, but also protect yourself from injury. Why is this so important? Cold muscles do not stretch well, and if you try too hard, there is a risk of tearing them.
• Please note that you need to stretch your body symmetrically. Spend equal time working on each limb.
• To begin, stay in each position for 15-20 minutes. You can gradually increase the duration to 60 seconds. The ideal option to strive for is 5-7 minutes for each. Don't force things. After all, the important principle of safe stretching is precisely that it should be done gradually. Your muscles will lengthen due to increased duration and amplitude.

Negative aspects of stretching

Still, some who are losing weight leave bad reviews about stretching . In particular, athletes note the ineffectiveness of classes, tediousness, long duration and naturally regularity.

Negative aspects of stretching

Some will be surprised, but there are people who want everything at once. Unfortunately, if you need results, you need to work constantly for this.

Many are dissatisfied with the high cost of classes, and they do not have enough time at home. Athletes say that the effect of stretching is short-term. If you rest, nothing will be noticeable.

TOP stretching classes leave mixed reviews . Some call stretching a sport for lazy people who cannot endure physical activity. Allegedly, this sport is much worse than aerobics and fitness. But if a person sets a goal for himself, then he will succeed.

Basic exercises

We offer you several fairly simple but effective stretching exercises for losing weight and improving flexibility.

1. Stretching for the abdominal muscles must be performed after each strength complex. Starting position: lying on your stomach. Place your arms straight in front of you and lean on them. As you inhale, lift your head and chest off the floor, gently arch your back. If you have had wrist injuries, it is better to rest your fists on the floor.
2. The following exercise will be useful for those who pump the lateral abdominal muscles. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend one arm up. Lean to the side as if reaching for your hand. Having reached your maximum, stay in this position.
3. If you perform strength stretching complexes for the arm muscles, then you need to be sure to stretch the biceps muscles after each workout. To do this, kneel down. Place your hands in front (fingers facing you). Your thighs should almost touch your feet. Now arch your back and lean back smoothly, keeping your elbows still and your arms in the same position.
4. We should not forget about stretching the gluteal muscles. Starting position: lying on your back. Bend one leg at the knee and pull it towards your chest, hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat the technique with the other leg. This is a very useful exercise for losing weight on your thighs.

Leg stretching exercises for weight loss

1. Sit on the floor, one leg extended to the side, the toe pointing up, the other bent and lying in front of you. Stretch towards the bent leg and stay in this position for as long as you can.
2. Lie on your side. Bend your top leg at the knee, trying to reach your buttock with it. You can pull your leg with your hand, while pulling the toe of your foot away from you.

Reviews

After pregnancy, problem areas appeared. With the help of stretching, it was possible to restore its former beauty.

After the operation I gained extra weight. Stretching in a group in the fitness room helped a lot. But I studied for quite a long time.

I have been doing stretching for 3 years. I got the body I dreamed of as a child. At the same time, I started with a small set of exercises.

Stretching is a series of exercises aimed at developing body flexibility and elasticity of muscle fibers. It allows you to normalize the body's condition after training, affects joint mobility and increases calorie consumption during exercise. Stretching not only improves flexibility and increases resistance to stress, but also helps you lose extra pounds. It is possible to perform movements with maximum amplitude of the joints if the muscles and surrounding tissues are elastic.

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Stretching helps maintain the body in constant tone and develop muscle flexibility. Proper execution of exercises allows you to avoid the occurrence of pain, which may affect future exercises. Stretching can be both a main workout and a preliminary warm-up. According to research, people who stretch experience little to no injury and burn 20% more calories.

Systematic exercise will help restore muscle tissue and relax the body after physical work.

The benefits of stretching are as follows:

1. 1. During stretching, the blood is actively saturated with oxygen. Due to the uniformity of the load, the muscles gradually stretch and become stronger.
2. 2. Muscle mass grows. The body gains flexibility, becomes toned, and the skin becomes firmer due to the low percentage of body fat.
3. 3. Coordination of movements improves.
4. 4. The nervous system is strengthened and stress resistance increases.
5. 5. Recovery from injuries or illnesses is much faster.
6. 6. Bone mineral density increases, which prevents the development of osteoporosis and fractures.
7. 7. The body expends more energy due to the saturation of tissues with oxygen and the growth of muscle fibers.

Stretching has a positive effect not only on the process of losing weight, but also on the general condition of the body. Regular exercise helps improve sleep quality and lower blood pressure.

Stretching is not considered an obstacle to other physical activities. The set of exercises is combined with cardio training. If you want to lose excess weight, physical activity leads to the burning of fat cells. Stretching helps to simultaneously tighten the skin and muscles, preventing them from sagging. After strength training, it stimulates not only rapid muscle recovery, but also an increase in their strength potential and flexibility.

To maintain the achieved form and degree of stretching, it is recommended to perform a certain number of basic exercises after morning exercises.

Pregnancy is not a contraindication for stretching, as long as you exclude sitting and bending exercises. Stretching is becoming a safe way to maintain body shape while carrying a baby. But first you need to make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding normally and there are no pathologies or contraindications.

Such fitness will not only give you a feeling of lightness, but will also allow you to maintain flexibility and activity for a long time. Pregnant women will feel an immediate surge of strength and energy, which will provide them with a good mood and well-being. Strengthened and stretched muscle fibers will provide significant support during the upcoming birth.

Recommendations for performing stretching exercises

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main mistakes that beginners and those who continue to make when doing stretching for weight loss.

Experts say that it is not recommended to pull some muscles. These include: back extensors and hip joints. Especially with the latter, those people who actively perform strength exercises should not be overzealous. Tightened muscles lose their ability to hold joints under load. Sprains, contortions and other injuries are precisely the consequences of such activities.

It is also not recommended to stretch the knee joints. They are very vulnerable, so during the stretching process you should adhere to basic precautions:

• The foot should always point upward when working on the cross split. It is unacceptable for socks to be rolled up or come into contact with the floor. This will reduce the lateral load on the knees.
• Keep your knees soft when performing hamstring stretches.

Contraindications

Despite all the benefits of stretching, there are cases when exercises should be carried out with extreme caution. You should not be overzealous or even better to postpone stretching for weight loss if:

• fractures and during the recovery period after;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• heart and vascular diseases;
• osteoporosis, arthritis, osteochondrosis, hernias and other ailments, disorders of the joints and spine;
• pregnancy;
• hypertension.

Expert opinion

Yulia Mikhailova

Nutrition expert

If during the exercise a sharp pain appears in any place, this indicates problems in this area. Therefore, you need to stop doing it, and not endure the unpleasant sensations. You also need to see a doctor and undergo the necessary examination.

Stretching and fat stomping at the same time: video

In conclusion, we offer effective video lessons with stretching exercises for weight loss for beginners.

Now you know why stretching is so beneficial. Certain stretching exercises help burn fat not only in the legs and buttocks, but also in the abdomen. All of them will help you learn to feel your body better and make your muscles elastic and firm. So even if you decide to join strength training with a barbell, you will be able to avoid pumped-up bodybuilder legs.

Does splitting help you lose weight in your legs?

The split stretch is a good way to shape your muscles and get rid of fat on your inner thighs. In combination with proper nutrition, you can achieve noticeable results in a short time.

• Muscle fibers stretch, lengthen, muscles become toned.
• Cellular metabolic processes are accelerated, tissues are saturated with oxygen. This will smooth the skin and make cellulite less noticeable.
• Blood circulation improves and the walls of blood vessels are strengthened. For this reason, excess fluid is not deposited in the subcutaneous tissue, but is excreted by the kidneys.

You won't be able to lose weight with splits alone. These exercises will help reduce the volume of your hips, but only by removing excess fluid and relieving swelling. Twine can only help model the shape of the muscles and make them more elastic.