Stretching is like rearranging the furniture in your home. Although it may not seem necessary, a small change can have amazing and sometimes unexpected positive effects.
Start today and reap the benefits in both physical and mental health. We’ll take you through them in this article, so keep reading.
Table of Contents
1. Improves posture
I’m sure you know that a good posture is essential for your health.
After all, reducing tension in the neck and back decreases the likelihood of chronic pain. Plus, good posture can help you look taller and slimmer, so it’s an awesome confidence booster.
But did you know that improved posture helps you breathe better so you can have better energy throughout the day?
Stretching will help you reap all the benefits of an improved posture. Here’s how it works:
- Stretching increases flexibility and strength in the muscles, so they can better support the skeleton and joints.
- Stretching also reduces muscle tightness that can occur with age. As a result, it increases your range of motion.
- Stretching improves the mind-body connection, making you more aware of your posture. That means you can correct your posture when you catch yourself slouching.
2. Increases flexibility and mobility
But why do you need them in the first place? Well, flexibility and mobility are essential to reduce the risk of cramps, sprains, and injuries that might occur due to a lack of range of motion or an inability to move freely.
And you need good mobility to perform everyday activities such as climbing stairs or bending down to pick up an item from the floor.
Stretching helps with all that because it strengthens your muscles and improves your range of motion. As a result, you can bend further without injury and feel less discomfort while participating in activities that require movement.
3. Reduces risk of injury
A good stretching routine helps increase flexibility, range of motion, and muscle control. And all that reduces the risk of injury.
When you are more flexible and have more control of your movements, your joints and muscles can move more efficiently.
In turn, that reduces the chances of sustaining an injury during sports or exercise activities.
And we already showed you that stretching makes you more aware of your posture. In doing so, you become more open and relaxed, thus which reduces the chance of pain or injury during everyday activities.
4. Allows you to work out more
Stretching is an often undervalued form of exercise by itself, but it can also help you make the most of your workouts.
Here’s how that works:
When your muscles are tense and tight, they can strain during exercise. That leads to fatigue or even injuries.
But if you do some active stretches before each workout, you will relieve this tension and set yourself up for successful training.
And there’s more:
Stretching on days you don’t plan to work out decreases muscle soreness. That means you need less rest time in between exercises.
Stretching properly and regularly can therefore enhance both short-term performance in the gym and long-term practices at home.
5. Promotes stress relief
Stress can put a major strain on our mental and physical health. Fortunately, stretching saves the day.
Here’s how:
1. When we stretch, our muscles relax, and we improve blood circulation, allowing for increased energy and fewer tension-related aches or pains.
2. Stretching releases endorphins in the brain, which act as natural painkillers and bolster positive feelings.
3. After you finish a stretching workout, you feel that dopamine rush flooding your brain. Dopamine is also known as the reward neurotransmitter, and it’s what makes you feel good about yourself after doing something right.
So you will feel less stress because your body feels better, you are happier, and you feel more satisfied with yourself.
6. Enhances focus and concentration
Studies have shown that stretching before activities and even in the workplace can improve the overall ability to focus and concentrate by releasing stress, increasing energy levels, and promoting relaxation.
The science is simple:
Stretching help your body relax – resulting in a more alert mind.
Stretching also provides more oxygen to your muscles, which helps to relieve any tension you may be feeling throughout the day.
But that oxygen reaches your brain as well. And this increases clarity of thoughts and heightens awareness — perfect for when you are trying to stay on task.
7. Improves sleep
Stretching helps you sleep better because:
- It increases circulation, which helps the body relax and release tension that has built up throughout the day.
- It decreases cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone linked to hormones that make you feel alert, so when those levels are lowered, it allows the body to enter relaxation mode easier.
- Engaging in a mindful stretching routine at night can even help quiet racing thoughts allowing for deeper, more restful sleep.
With all these positive effects stretching can have on sleep patterns, it is certainly worth taking a few minutes each night for some stretches before settling into bed.
8. Enhances weight loss
Stretching enhances weight loss because:
- It allows you to tackle more activities throughout the day without feeling sore or sleepy, so you burn more calories.
- It strengthens your muscles and improves your circulation, so your resting metabolic rate increases. That means your metabolism can burn calories at a much faster rate.
- It makes you feel happier and more satisfied with yourself. As a result, you’ll be likelier to stick to your exercise and healthy eating habits.
As you can see, stretching can transform your body completely. From feeling calmer and happier to having increased muscle tone and mobility, stretching is a real miracle worker.
Do you like to stretch or struggle with it? I’m curious about your take on this; let’s chat in the comments below.
Mary advocates for one powerful idea: fitness is about challenging yourself, but it’s not a race against the clock. She wants people to understand that the best fitness equipment doesn’t have to be expensive or very popular. The best workouts and machines should always fit your style and needs, not the other way around. So, Mary’s dedication and hard work are the engines that keep this website going.
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