1. Benefits of Stretching
Keeping muscles flexible and joints supple are essential in life. Not only should athletes do it, but also armchair quarterbacks, Saturday gardeners and desk jockeys. Move into any stretch slowly and try to breathe and relax into the position. Don't bounce into a stretch as it could actually do harm in the way of over stretching muscles and joints. Stretching also helps manage stress as a relaxed muscle holds less tension, so tension headaches and body aches are lessened. Some good examples of programs that help you learn to stretch deeper include Yoga or Pilates. Continued stretching, like in yoga classes, has also shown in studies to help reduce and control cholesterol and reverse hardening of the arteries.
2. Range of Motion
When you stretch, your joints and tendons relax and muscle fibers realign. This allows a greater range of motion. Your muscle is able to stretch farther before injury occurs. In addition, intertwined muscle fibers take more time to heal. As you age, your muscles, tendons and ligaments stiffen more quickly. To counteract this, stretching keeps them supple and gives you greater range of movement. This will make your daily activities easier and you will feel more energetic. Increasing your flexibility in your hips and upper legs reduces strain on your lower back. This decreases the chance of lower back pain, an issue spanning many types of jobs, ages and fitness levels.
3. Sit Up and Take Notice
Stretching improves your posture as your muscles are balanced and realign soft tissue structures that might be out of alignment because of a history of poor posture. Realigned muscles, tissue and tendons make it easier to build strong core muscles and keep a good posture throughout the day, which helps you to fight fatigue.
4. Improving Coordination
Whether in sports or yard work, agility is important. Moving to avoid a tumbling rock or an opponent both take quick reflexes. Stretching can improve both. The messages from the nerve to the brain takes less time in people who stretch on a normal basis. This helps muscle groups in working together, making you more coordinated.
5. Increasing Blood Flow
Stretching exercises after physical activity helps increase blood flow to the fatigued muscles and throughout the body. This helps diminish the build-up of lactic acid, which cuts down on soreness and cramping.
Member Comments