Increased Flexibility
Again, while gaining size and strength are big factors for many who are taking on a physical sport, some key conditioning techniques can be put on the back burner. One of this is flexibility training, which can help you reduce the chance of injuries.
BodyBuilding.com notes that after an intense workout, “your arms stay in a semi-contracted state for hours”. Over time, this lack of stretching after intense activity can decrease your range of motion. And if getting bigger is your goal, stretching can actually help your muscles develop.
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Proper Rest
It may feel like you want to train all hours of the day, but you shouldn’t do so at the expense of your sleep, says Men’s Fitness magazine. In fact, if you’re trying to gain mass for a contact sport, “When you sleep you slip into an anabolic (muscle-building) state that’s optimal for growth,” notes the source.
It says that you should be getting from 7- to 9-hours of (quality) sleep per night, regardless of what time of day you start your workouts. If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, the source also lists six exercises that promote rest…
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Increased Lung Capacity
You should think about trying to increase your lung capacity for running (and for finesse sports), which will in turn help you run further, according to Livestrong.com. “Most people don’t think about their lung capacity until they go running and find that they’re out of breath in 10 minutes,” notes the source.
Ways to boost your capacity to not lose your breath so easily include high-altitude training (which builds up more red blood cells that carry more oxygen), but this technique is a “short fix” according to the site. It also mentions not-so-natural respiratory training equipment (training masks) that improves lung capacity. However, possibly the more practical way for long-term benefits is cardiovascular exercises including short sprints, cycling, swimming and skiing. You may have to push yourself a bit to get the benefits.
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Jeff Hayward
Jeff has more than 15 years of experience writing professionally about health, travel and the arts among other subjects. He continuously looks to improve his own overall health through exercise, diet and mindfulness. He is also a proud stay-at-home dad that loves taking photographs both professionally and as a hobby.