1. Stretching increases your flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move your muscles in all the possible ways. This is important to decrease tension in your muscles, lengthen contracted and restrained muscles. A consistent post-workout stretching will give you the ability to do more exercises that require flexibility, things you were not able to make in the past. The muscles that you do not stretch remain restrained which limits their performance in a specific workout. Therefore, make sure that you stretch your legs very well to give them the needed flexibility for your next run.

2. Avoids injuries

The flexibility that stretching gives to your muscles, making them less prone to be stiff and tense. Stiff muscles lead to acute injuries, and your muscles will be tired and will feel overused.

3. Boosting your physical performance

This is the first aim of athletes behind stretching. All the benefits of stretching are related to the first one in this list; flexibility. Flexible muscles mean healthier muscles, and healthier muscles are the ones able to perform the highest levels of every exercise. This practice lets you maximize your range of motion and improves your strength.

4. Gives you energy

After a workout, you might feel tired, and all you want is to be home, fed, showered and in your bed. However, a 5-minutes stretching session has the ability to increase your energy levels, this is because when your body cools down, more hormones related to happiness and energy are released.

5. Tones your muscles

If one of the goals you have from being in the gym is to have defined muscles than you definitely need to do some stretching. After lifting weights or doing exercises that put a lot of pressure on your muscles, you need to give your muscles the ability to recover and be ready for the upcoming workout session. Good stretching exercises will give you more toned and strong muscles.