Stretching
Stretching is vitally important to just about every able body. Stretching keeps people flexible, improves their posture, range of movement and allows them to avoid some injuries and other aches and pains. With pre-existing muscle or joint injuries, stretching increases strength and is a supplement to other forms of exercise. A large percentage of the population that suffer with bad backs and knees, have tight hamstrings and hips and the main cause of this, is the lack of flexibility.
In general Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching has resulted in greater increases in range of motion compared with static stretching. Eg: After running or any other exercise, relax then slowly go into a stretch and try and hold that stretch for 30 seconds. You should not feel any pain. Go to the point where you can feel that muscle being pulled. Always try and stretch the tightest side first, then the other side and then go back to the original side and re-stretch.
Happy Stretching!