To avoid muscle and joint injury, it is important to carry out warm up and stretching exercises prior to any fitness training workout. There are some other points to remember as well that can ensure a safe and enjoyable workout. Stretching increases the ability of muscles to flex and contract and is just as useful when you have finished exercising. This flexibility is further improved when you carry out muscle and tendon stretching exercises after you have finished any physical activity.

Although a twenty second stretch is sufficient before a routine, if this increased to a minute per movement there is a considerable increase in the flexibility of the muscles and limbs. Many people make the mistake of stretching and returning to their original position to quickly when the movement should be slow and measured. By hold the stretched position for several seconds, and then slowly relaxing means you can do this exercise repeatedly, but bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles. Always start with the easiest exercises first until you have warmed up sufficiently to carry out the more difficult ones and ensure that all the muscle groups are warmed before you start training.

A commonly forgotten area of the body to warm up, and one that is easy to injure, is the neck so make sure that the neck is warmed up by applying pressure to the head at the front, back and sides using pressure from the palm of your hand. Stretch regularly before fitness training to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength. Do not overstretch your self performing exercises you are not yet ready for just because there are others who can as this will cause further problems; work to your own pace. Always exercise to limits of your body on the day, just because a few days earlier you could carry out an exercise does not mean that it will be possible all the time so expect this to happen and do not over-exert yourself.

It is normally advised you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days when fitness training as muscle grows during the period when you rest and not when you are working out. Aerobic exercises are the best for you because they will improve you cardiovascular system, improve your stamina, lung capacity and overall fitness; exercises like skipping running, rowing, swimming, stepping machines etc. Music is great to workout with as a regular beat helps when you are doing cardiovascular exercises and with the range of small, lightweight mp3 players available these days you don’t have to worry about damaging them. Even though every mp3 player or instance comes complete with a set of headphones, it will be a worthwhile investment buying a decent pair as there is less likelihood of any sound leakage; other people just might not want to listen to your choice in music! Even if you do not intend to workout, stretching is an excellent way for the body to relax, especially if you find yourself in one position for a good deal of the day.