Independence Day celebrations are in sight. Various competitions that test your dexterity are ready for you to take part in. For those of you who are competitive at heart, of course the competition on August 17 will be the opportunity you have been waiting for. Apart from being fun, competitions commemorating August 17 also usually offer attractive prizes.
Some of the most exciting and much awaited types of competitions are areca climbing, sack races, and tug of war. The competition relies on agility and physical strength. Therefore, just like sports, before participating in these various competitions, you must stretch so you don't sprain and get injured.
Stretching has the benefit of improving blood flow, increasing range of motion, and lengthening muscles so that the body becomes more flexible to move. In addition, stretching also functions to strengthen your back and chest muscles so that your posture becomes better. For joints, stretching is useful to reduce excessive pressure and to lubricate the joints.
So, before you register to take part in the various Independence Day competitions, let's find out the types of stretches you can do before and after the competition. These types of stretches are effective at keeping you from injuring your muscles.
Static stretching
The first type of stretching is static stretching. These stretches don't involve a lot of movement and only last 10 to 30 seconds in each position. This type of stretching is commonly done before exercise and is effective in increasing the flexibility of all parts of the body. Static stretching movements are divided into several parts, depending on the target body part.
- Head stretch
You can do several movements to stretch the muscles around the head area. First, make sure you stand with your feet wider than your shoulders, then place your hands on your waist. Bend your head forward and hold until you feel a stretch in your neck muscles. Next, turn your head to the left and right until you feel a pull on your neck. For the next movement, do the movement to break the neck to the left slowly until it touches the shoulder. Do it in the opposite direction until it touches the left shoulder. In each move, make sure you count equally between left and right moves.
- Hand stretch
As with the head stretch, start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Cross your right arm over your left, hold your right elbow with your left. This position makes you feel a pull and stretch in the muscles around your arms. Next, cross your left arm over your right, holding your left elbow with your right hand. Make sure the stretching positions of the left and right hands are done in equal duration.
- Waist stretch
Like the head and hand stretch, stand with your feet wider than your shoulders and place your hands on your waist. Point your waist to the right and push until your lumbar muscles stretch. Hold this position for a count, but stop if your lower back starts to hurt. Then, direct the waist to the left and push until the waist muscles feel tense, then hold for a certain amount. Alternate these two movements with several repetitions.
Dynamic stretch
The second type of stretching is dynamic stretching. These stretches are more active than static stretches and are repeated up to 10-12 times. Besides being more active, dynamic stretching also requires higher coordination compared to static stretching .
An easy dynamic stretching movement to do is jogging , both in place and on the move. You can do these stretches not only before participating in various competitions on August 17, but also after you finish competing so that your body returns to normal condition and your muscles become more relaxed so you don't get injured.
The types of movement in dynamic stretches in the neck, head and waist tend to be similar to static stretches. The difference is, the movements are repeated without holding the position in each movement. For example, stretching the head in static stretching is done by bending down and then holding the position before moving on to the next movement. Whereas in dynamic stretching , the downward movement is done repeatedly without holding the position until it tends to be like nodding your head over and over again.
So, these are the kinds of stretches you can do before you go for the championship positions at the various Independence Day races. Don't forget to do the movement with good posture to avoid injury. Happy commemorating the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia and happy racing! #LiveExcellently