I've just posted 8 basic stretches to Flickr. Use these images and accompanying descriptions to ensure you're stretching properly and keeping your body long and lean. You should stretch frequently and most definitely after a workout. Aim to lengthen your muscles every day.
Exercise causes our muscles to contract and shorten. Without stretching our muscles out, we risk injury and hinder our ability to increase strength. Tight muscles pull on our joints and put the body out of alignment.
When you have the option to stretch lying down this is the ideal situation. Stretching while standing is substandard as your muscles aren't able to fully relax, a requirement for any effective stretch. Still, a standing stretch is better than no stretch at all.
It's very important to hold your stretches in place for a minimum of 30 seconds. Use a timer. If you guess you'll almost always fall short of the 30 second minimum.
Do not bounce. Your body may activate a sensory receptor meant to protect you from injury. If you over-stretch you risk automatically contracting the muscle you're trying to relax.
You should not be in pain during your stretch. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 feels like your tearing the muscle and you can't feel anything at 1, aim to be at about a 3 where you feel the stretch but are comfortable to hold it. Every 10 seconds you can increase the intensity of the stretch slightly as your body adapts.
Now go be taller!
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