Work those hamstrings

     I've come to the conclusion that I'm not the same freshman that ignored all things athletics and focussed soley on dance. With that being said, I am no longer able to do any sort of flexible move, especially when it comes to my hamstrings. When I was in dance I was told to stray away from athletics by my own dance teacher, because she wanted to keep my flexibility and that could be hindered by the building of muscle. Being a young and innocent girl, I simply nodded my head and (actually quit basketball!) did as she said. I don't know the science behind that at all, that gaining muscle can actually hinder your flexibility, but I wouldn't doubt it, seeing as my hamstrings are typically less flexibile than most male athletes I know. Keep in mind I haven't even taken into consideration being flexible while gaining muscle from running. The only goal was (and still is) to gain muscle.
      I know some athletes care about being flexible and personally I don't care at all, probably because I don't know the science or importance of that and should probably do my research. But if you are, read on, and I'll share some of my tips and experience in all things stretching.
     So let's start with the strangest part of stretching. Whether you have or not, you're probably curious as to what is actually happening when you're just doing a daily routine of your warm ups or cool downs with the team and your muscle actually feels as if it's shaking. Seeing as you're not an expert in all things stretching and your main concern being a highschooler is not the reason your muscle is shaking, you probably don't look too much into it. Well, you should! This is actually your body's way of telling you that you're creating microtears in your muscle tissue and are actually losing, not gaining, flexibility. Who knew?
     If you're a loyal reader then you probably have read my post on different stretching, such as dynamic and static and when the appropriate time to do both of these is. If not, I'll lightly catch you up. The best time to stretch is after you run, not before. Basically this will allow your muscles to cool down nice and easy. Along with that, I recommend stretching before you go to sleep at night just to give that extra flexibility kick. (403)