Fitness Includes Flexibility

KYW's Medical Report Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It is important to exercise, but preparing for workouts is crucial. And, one of the keys to preparation is stretching - but if you see enough people exercising, you realize that they don't take a lot of time to do so.

Stretching is very important. What you want to do is you want to stretch early on in the exercise process, about five minutes into it, and at the end of the exercising.

There are few things more important than regular stretching. You need to build slowly and gradually build up to a relaxed stretch. You don't want to do it all at once because people who do that run into big difficulties.

If you have a particular part of your body that is more prone to injury you need to concentrate on those areas. It may be worth the time to talk with your physician or a trainer about the best steps to take to include the most important stretches.