If done properly, stretching can be highly beneficial for the muscles. Unfortunately, if you don’t do it properly, you can do some real and long-lasting damage to yourself. In order to stretch to your best benefit, we suggest the following:

Warm-up before stretching. If you attempt to stretch a muscle that’s “cold”, you can strain or pull it. Do some mild bouncing, jumping or shaking to get your body revved up enough to handle the activity.

Stop stretching if you feel pain. Stretching should feel good. If it feels bad, you’re over-extending yourself. Overextending the muscles and tendons leads to injuries. Stretching is one activity to which the old adage, “no pain, no gain” does NOT apply. Stretching, when done right, will feel mildly uncomfortable at first. That discomfort will go away as the stretch lingers.

Stretch slowly and deliberately. Think about what you’re doing and take the time to do the motion properly. If you go too quickly or jerk your limbs around, you can hurt yourself. Ease into the stretch and keep your movements steady.

Keep your arms and knees slightly bent. Locking your joints up can do more harm than good. This puts too much stress on your elbows and knees.

Breathe normally. Don’t hold your breath while stretching. Attempt to breathe in and breathe out as you normally do. If your breath is too shallow or you have a hard time catching it, slow down. Relax for a few seconds and resume the activity, paying closer attention to your breathing.

Practice good posture and form. You should stand up straight and extend your spinal column to your full height as much as possible while stretching. You don’t want to curve the back and should always attempt to bend from the middle with shoulders straight and your vertebrae in proper alignment.

Do not compare yourself with others. If exercising in a gym, a class or with anyone else, try to remember that stretching is not a competitive sport. It doesn’t matter if you can’t stretch as far as someone else can. By comparing yourself negatively with others, you may be compelled to overstretch which can cause you to injure yourself.