Flexibility is an important component of physical fitness that is often overlooked. In order to become more flexible, you must include consistent stretching in your workout routine. If athletes do not stretch before an athletic event, it can cause their muscles to tighten. This is also true for someone working out. It is important to begin your workout by incorporating stretching in your warm up and cool down.

Flexibility can be improved by performing stretching exercises. Flexibility training, or stretching, is about improving the balance in muscles you use when exercising or doing other activities. In this topic, you will examine the different types of stretching. You will also learn how stretching reduces your risk of injury.

Essential Question

• How can you incorporate stretching exercises into your fitness routine?