If you’ve ever dropped something on the floor and tried to bend down to get it, but found it was just too difficult, you probably need to stretch more. Stretching is important. If you’re not flexible, playing with the kids on the floor may feel like an impossibility. Reaching for objects on the top shelf may cause muscle pain. If you’ve ever decided slip on shoes were the best, since you never had to bend over to lace them, flexibility training and stretching definitely should be on your “things to do regularly” list.
Relax your muscles or warm them up to be active.
There are several types of stretching, but static and dynamic are the two most often used. Stretching can help boost circulation and get muscles ready for action, which is why preworkout warm-ups are important. It gets the blood circulating and loosens the muscles. Watch a cat when it first wakes up. Its bottom goes in the air and paws reach out in front, as it stretches its entire body. Stretching can also cool down your muscles after a workout. It can help get rid of the waste products and aid in preventing muscle aches and pains.
Stretching helps improve your posture and that makes a difference in how you feel.
Your posture plays a role in how you look and how you feel both physically and emotionally. It can make you look heavier, lazier, more timid and frumpy, while causing aches, pains, fatigue, headaches, heartburn and even incontinence and constipation. Poor posture can make you look defeated and timid, which also affects your mental attitude, since people tend to treat you by the image you project. Range of motion exercises, like stretching, can improve your overall posture.
Stretching helps maintain your strength.
If your muscles are short, they become tight, and they can’t extend fully. That alone reduces their strength. It also can put you at risk for muscle and joint damage that can dramatically affect your daily life. People at desk jobs often spend their entire day sitting in a chair. That can cause the hamstrings to tighten, which can lead to injury from everyday use. It can also lead to back pain, which is one of the dangers of a desk job.
- Not only can stretching help prevent aches and pains before they start, but it can also bring relief. When you sit too long, some muscles shorten. That can cause them to tug on other muscles and joints. Stretching reverses that shortening and tightness, reducing the pain.
- If you’re tired but simply can’t sleep, a routine of stretching might help. The right type of stretching can cause your muscles to relax, while reducing aches, which helps you get a good night’s sleep.
- Stretching can help your balance, while also increasing your range of motion. Both help prevent falls, which is very important the older you are. If you’re a senior, stretching should be part of your daily routine.
- If you have a job that is sedentary, you should do stretches every hour. Stretches should include shoulder rolls, neck stretches, side stretches, hip flexor stretch and calf stretches.
For more information, contact us today at Get RIPPED!