Benefits of Daily Stretching

Flexibility, Health & Wellness Article, Healthy Lifestyle, Physical Health, Self Improvement

Incorporating stretching into your weekly routine is essential no matter where you are in life. Stretching can increase your strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

Benefits of Stretching

Just a few minutes of stretching every day will help keep your muscles healthy and maintain the range of motion needed for your joints. Also, stretching improves your posture.
Staying flexible makes it easier to maintain your mobility and balance as you age, thus helping to prevent missteps and falls.
Stretching increases blood flow and circulation, which increases your energy. More energy inspires you to be more active. When you are more active, your muscles move, pulling blood to that part of the body and increasing oxygen flow.

What happens when we sit for long periods of time

Sitting for long periods causes your hip flexors to tighten, potentially leading to low back pain and mobility issues. Stretching your hips and hamstring muscles can reverse that tightness.
When the muscles in the front of the body tighten, one tends to lean forward, changing the body’s center of gravity, causing your body to work harder to keep from falling forward.
Most people’s shoulders and head will tend to slump forward, causing the body’s center of gravity to be more forward, increasing the possibility of a forward fall.
When the muscles on the front of the body get tighter and shorter, the corresponding muscles on the back of the body get longer, creating an imbalance between the body’s front and back.

Stretching helps to properly balance both the front and the back of the body.

Everything works together to keep you moving, strong, and flexible. Start with stretching. There are two types of stretching: dynamic and static.

An example of dynamic stretching is moving or walking at a moderate pace for 5-10 minutes. The best time to perform dynamic stretching is before an exercise or movement session.

Static stretching is holding the stretch without movement. Static stretching after exercising is always a good idea. It lengthens the muscles, and decreases stiffness. Also, stretching helps increase the range of motion, improve posture and overall performance, reduce post-exercise aches and pains, promote circulation, and decreases the risk of back pain.

Here are video demonstrations of dynamic and static stretching

Bottom Line: If you want more energy, incorporate some stretching into your daily routine … and keep on mov’in!

If you’re interested in alternative techniques through my services or would like to know more information, send me a message or call (973) 476-8661.

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