The Benefits of Stretching

THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING TAMMY LYNN MCNABB

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Are you stretching? Stretching helps lengthen the muscles to increase flexibility and joint range of motion and is an important part of any exercise or rehabilitation program. Stretching is great for people of all ages and can be done before and after exercise, before bed, or any other time throughout the day when you feel tense or stiff. If stretching isn’t apart of your routine, adding a light stretch before physical activities will benefit you over time!

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FLEXIBILITY AND JOINT RANGE OF MOTION Flexible muscles help improve your performance throughout the day. Things like lifting and bending will become easier and less tiring. As we age, we also tend to lose flexibility. Spending 15 minutes each day stretching in the morning, or at night before bed can help regain a lot of your movement and range of motion.

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BETTER POSTURE Frequent stretching will keep your muscles from getting tight, which will help maintain a straight posture. Good posture lowers back pains and discomfort. When you sit for long periods, you start to slouch, so taking a break to stretch will help you regain better posture.

CIRCULATION Stretching is a great way to help increase blood flow throughout your body, which will keep your muscles from stiffening up.

Increased blood flow will help bring nourishment to your muscles and help remove waste byproducts in the tissue of the muscle. Improved circulation from stretching can also help shorten recovery time from any muscle related injuries.

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STRESS RELIEF

Stretching has been proven to help release stress! When we get stressed, our muscles become tense and rigid in response to physical and emotional stressors. To eliminate the tension build up from whatever is stressing you out, it’s important to focus on the areas of the body where you typically hold your stress such as your shoulders, upper back, and neck.

STRETCHING TECHNIQUES When starting to stretch, it’s important to practice proper stretching techniques. Correctly stretching will help avoid any unnecessary injuries.

The following tips will help you properly stretch.

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WARM UP

Stretching cold muscles can increase the risk of pulling a muscle while you’re stretching or during physical activity. A warm-up before stretching can be as simple as walking and pumping your arms. You just want to make sure you get your blood flowing before you hand with a low-intensity movement for five minutes.

30 SECOND RULE

It takes time for the tissues in your muscles to lengthen so holding your stretches for 30 seconds or longer for problem areas, or muscle tightness will help them loosen up.

Most muscle groups only need to be stretched out once before physical activity if you are holding the stretches for the correct amount of time.

ELIMINATE BOUNCING Bouncing is the easiest way to tear a muscle while you’re stretching. Once a muscle is torn, it will decrease flexibility.

Even if you can’t touch the palms of your hands to the floor, do not bounce down to grab them. The more you stretch, the better your range of motion will become.

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STRETCHING IS A GREAT WAY TO HELP WITH YOUR RANGE OF MOTION AND WILL HELP YOU MOVE MORE FREELY. IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHICH STRETCHES YOU SHOULD BE DOING ARE JUST COMING OFF AN INJURY, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR PHYSICAL THERAPIST TO FIND OUT WHICH STRETCHES WILL BENEFIT YOU THE MOST.

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