My homepage is Real Simple Magazine. They often feature articles based on Health and Wellness. A few days ago, their featured article was Increase Your Flexibility and Improve Your Life. As a dancer, an employee of a New York Pilates studio, and a fitness advocate this article peeked my interest. According to David Geier, the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, stretching increases the length of the tendons which in turn allows the muscle to get bigger in size during strength training exercises. So, do you stretch? Before and after any kind of exercise, whether working with a personal trainer, taking private pilates classes, participating in group sessions, working out at a gym, you should. This article asserts starting at 10 minutes a day and increasing your flexibility to a level needed in your life. Being flexible prevents injury and allows long-term strength building. Need some suggestions for how to get your stretch on? Pilates and Yoga both incorporate strength and flexibility as well as focus on the breath – another requirement of stretching mentioned in the article. What do you think? Can you find 10 minutes a day to stretch? Even better – can you free up an hour for an NYC Pilates class or private? Read the article and let us know your thoughts!