If you are interested in improving the efficiency of your strength training sessions, you may want to make stretching a bigger priority. A recent study by researcher and author, Wayne Wescott, Ph.D., shows that stretching after your workout not only increases flexibility but improves strength as well.

Participants in a 10-week strength training program either paused to stretch between each machine or stretched after their workouts. Surprisingly they showed a 20% increase in strength over non-stretchers.

Dr. Westcott says there's no clear explanation yet for this finding; more research is needed to confirm it and understand the mechanism behind it.

As we age our range of motion often suffers due to lack of flexibility and stiffness and arthritis in the joints. Often we take the approach of avoiding movement-which is exactly the opposite of what we should do. The ideal approach is to incorporate a stretching routine into our exercise program.

Stretching has a host of benefits to the muscles, tendons and tissue surrounding the joints. A flexible joint may move farther in its range and requires less energy to do so.

Flexibility training (stretching) increases tissue temperature, which in turn increases circulation and nutrient transport. This allows greater elasticity of surrounding tissues. As a result there is an increased quantity and quality of synovial fluid, enabling more nutrients to get to the joint. The end result is more freedom of movement and a slowing in the process of arthritis.

Strong clinical evidence also indicates that lower back pain can be avoided or improved by stretching the hamstrings, hip flexors, and muscles attaching to the pelvis.