Here we get a glimpse of how the beautiful Halle Berry keeps her amazing body in shape. She stresses the importance of stretching on Instagram with a stunning photograph of her doing the shoulder stand yoga pose.

This #FitnessFriday is dedicated to the importance of stretching! After I work out, it’s important for me to stretch and lengthen. Fitness is not just about running, lifting and punching. For me, being athletic and super fit is also about being still, stretching and breathing. Including stretching in my fitness program helps my muscles stay long, limber, improves my mobility and range of motion and, most importantly, helps me avoid injuries. This is one of my favorite #yoga poses, the shoulder stand, that stretches my lower spine and legs. I feel 2 inches taller after this stretch! Some people use yoga poses to manage stress, increase circulation, for medication, recovery, better sleep, and mobility just to name a few. Check out my Fitness IG Story to see a stretch I like for hip mobility that lengthens my sides and for today's #keto meal. Today I challenge you to share your best yoga pose. If you don't have one, I encourage you to search for one, post about it, tag #FitnessFridayHB and tell me how it makes you feel. ??????????

A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on Mar 2, 2018 at 1:45pm PST

Stretching is an important part of exercise and working out, not to mention overall wellness. So to motivate you, here are some sexy stretching photos posted by beautiful supermodel Natalia Vodianova!

When Monday feels like this. Good morning everyone! ???????? ??????????? – ??? ??????? ??????. ???? ???????? ???!

A photo posted by Natalia Vodianova (@natasupernova) on Aug 14, 2016 at 10:31pm PDT

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Despite the years of research and mountains of data, there still is no definitive answer to whether stretching is worth your time and effort. Proponents argue that stretching prevents injury, diminishes delayed onset muscle soreness and improves athletic performance. Some go as far as to say that regular stretching can help speed recovery from workouts and improve blood flow to the area being stretched. Opponents will argue that stretching can actually cause injury, and does nothing to improve performance or prevent delayed onset muscle soreness. In fact there are many experts who not only believe stretching does nothing to improve performance, but that it can significantly hinder it. Each side can site numerous studies to support their claims.

Because there is so much conflicting data, should we even bother stretching? The answer is a resounding “yes”. Especially if you lack normal range of motion in your joints. Our bodies are a feat of engineering that man, in all his wisdom and brilliance, cannot replicate. For example, as we grow and develop into adults, we are provided with a certain degree of flexibility governed by our genetics. This flexibility allows us to have a normal range of movement around a joint. This range of movement is crucial to the health of our joints. Training, injuries and the natural aging process all will diminish flexibility and the range of movement we started with. Flexibility is not only lost or gained in the muscle, it’s also determined by tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue. It is this relationship between bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc., that took millions of years to perfect through evolution. Any disturbance between the structures in our joints can lead to hindered performance or serious injury.

No matter which side you take, and no matter what the reason, the data is conclusive on one point: It’s much more effective to stretch muscles that are already warmed up. A warm-up is light to moderate activity lasting 10 – 15 minutes before the actual workout begins. Warming up drives blood into the muscles and synovial fluid into the joints, thus reducing stiffness. If you warm-up first, you’ll make much more progress than if you stretch cold.

To evaluate whether you are developing a restriction around a joint, and to see a list of stretches in their proper order go HERE.