Recently, I've had to miss HDGD weeks, sometimes months, at a time. Although I am only 22, I certainly not 14 anymore either.

After such long periods to rest (or sloth, whichever), the "day-after" pain it simply demoralizing. My muscles ache and just sitting sometimes hurt. I want to commit myself 110% during class, as usual, but I often forget that my body has been getting softer and softer on an office chair for last couple weeks.

A more "mature" (that's the politically correct way of saying old fart, right? ) members from our board suggested a thorough cool-down and stretch.

Let me tell you; what a world of difference! I certainly don't feel like a 12 year old Chinese gymnaste, but at least my legs and abs aren't killing me! I am convinced that the post-workout stretching was tantmount to their being little to no pain for me today.



Does anyone else have anymore advice to add? Which stretches shoud/shouldn't I be doing after class? Should I still be doing them while I'm warm, or wait to cool off a bit? Should they be dynamic or static stretches?

Stretch while you are still warm.

Just wait until your 39

I have had to take some time off and just started back so i am basically going through the same thing you are. I know if I push too hard i won't be able to walk for a few days but do I still work way too hard? Of course.

Haidong!
Adam

I don't think there are any "bad" stretches, just stretches performed incorrectly. (and the masses cry "smart ass" )

Which stretches to do I think will depend on type of workout you finished. If it was mostly stance training then focus more on the lower body. Average workout (standard gumbup at regular to high intensity) then just focus on the major muscle group. For a post-training session heavy on Chungmyôn paegi and such then do more stretches involving the upper body and abs.




I agree with Adam. Doing the stretches warm will give you the best benefit. Don't push it too much. Post-workout, your muscles are loose and pulls & tears can occur from hyper extension if you really try to push the stretch too much.



Depends. For just a general cool down I think dynamic streches are great. They're quicker to do than most static streches. Dynamic streches are also great to do during a resting phase between gumbup sets as movement helps keep the heart rate up. However if you're looking to increase flexibility then static stretches are probably what you should focus on.

Not an expert, just pulling from what I've learn in my years of track and field

Static stretches done for flexibility improvements should be held at least 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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What she said.

And remember, you are in your 'cool down' phase - NOT the time to try to be a 'stretching hero'!! You are warm, but you are NOT Gumby! From everything I've read, the cooldown should include relaxed stretching, meaning you apply gentle, relaxed pressure into the stretch. (stretch, hold, breath in, breath out, gently reach a tiny bit more, relax, breath, repeat). And NO bouncing!

If you want to know anything about stretching, ask this guy (and he even has an article on cooldowns!).

Something I have found to be very helpful in regard to stretches has been to focus on relaxing the specific muscles you are working on. It is amazingly easy to tighten up those muscles when stretching them, and not even be aware of it. So focusing on letting them relax has let me get significantly more benefit from stretching than I was able to do without this focus. I have to wonder if the advice to hold for 30 sec to a minute was developed to "wait out" the muscle tension and sort of force the realxing to occur...

Just wait until you're 55!

In fact, don't. My advice is never completely stop all physical training. It's just gets harder and harder to start again the older you get, especially given decreasing flexibility and weight gain. Because of the latter considerations, consider something like yoga, even if you can't do anything else, and figure out how not to put on the pounds.

More to the point, I have found that a combination of relaxed after w/out stretching of the muscles just worked plus formal yoga classes 2-3 times a week helps a lot. Other people have mentioned some, and there are a plethora of stretching exercises/routines available on the net.

The other prerequisite is sufficient rest. This means a LOT of rest. I don't think the last is necessarily connected to age. If you're relatively young, you can get away with much less rest and still function fairly effectively, but by not allowing your body the amount of rest really needed for complete recovery, you will be depriving yourself of the opportunity to achieve optimum development of strength/flexibility and endurance. The scientific evidence is overwhelming that real progress in all three takes place during the recovery phase after exercise. So get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and take at least one day a week and one week every three months off completely, except for the proverbial walk in the park.