The beginning of a brand new year opens up opportunities to start some fresh, beneficial habits. One of such habits is daily stretching. If you are looking to start a wellbeing focused routine, then stretching daily is one of the things you must adopt. Not only does it impact your performance at the gym significantly, but it will also impact your overall life at work and home.
Here are some benefits of incorporating stretching into your daily activities.
Benefit #1: Improved mobility and flexibility
Stretching helps to lengthen and relax our muscles, thus improving their mobility and flexibility, and increasing the range of movement. When you stretch, you are applying tension to the fascia (connective tissue) and the surrounding muscles, promoting elasticity which encourages a greater range of motion. This also helps to reduce muscle discomfort and tightness, lowering the risk of developing any muscle-related issues.
Benefit #2: Better gym results
The importance of stretching before and after exercising is often underestimated. It is an essential aspect of working out as it helps to prepare your muscles and wrap things up once the workout is done. Stretching can help you achieve better results at the gym in several ways:
- Improved range of motion: By increasing your muscles’ mobility and flexibility, stretching enables you to exercise with an increased range of motion, leading to higher efficiency and better form.
- Reduced risk of injury:Stretching helps to reduce muscle imbalances and tightness, reducing the risk of developing muscle-related injuries during your workouts.
- Enhanced performance:Stretching encourages blood circulation, reducing muscle stiffness and soreness, which then leads to higher muscle performance and function during your workouts.
- Better posture:Stretching helps to improve your posture, which during your workout, can impact your overall performance and strength significantly while reducing the risk of injury.
- Better post-exercise recovery: Stretching after the exercise serves as a good cooldown, allowing your body to slow down into resting mode and prevent lactic acid buildup in the muscles.
Benefit #3: Less pain
Stretching helps to loosen and relax tight muscles, reducing muscle stiffness and soreness and improving blood circulation. When muscle tension builds up, whether it is from long hours at the desk or after a night’s sleep, the tight muscles pull on joints, causing discomfort. Stretching can help to alleviate such tension. The improved blood circulation encourages the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, reducing stiffness and soreness; hence, why it is so crucial to pay attention to workplace ergonomics.
Benefit #4: Reduced stress level
Stretching helps to reduce stress by relaxing your muscles. When we are feeling stressed, our muscles tense up, resulting in physical discomfort. When such muscle aches and knots are relaxed, we experience a sense of relaxation and calm. Stretching helps to reduce such physical tension, which ultimately leads to us feeling relaxed.
Stretching also helps to clear your mind, as it allows us to focus on nothing else but your body and mind. Even a quick simple stretch as little as a couple minutes can produce such healthy distraction. There are several methods of stretching such as yoga, which allows you to focus on your body’s sensations and breathing, as well as to improve your concentration level.
Conclusion
Stretching every day should be a part of your holistic approach to overall well-being. This is especially the case for sedentary and/or older individuals so that they can maintain flexibility and mobility, as well as to reduce the risk of injuries. It is vital to note that stretching should be conducted gradually and within your physical limits. Pushing too hard or abruptly can instead lead to an increased risk of discomfort and injury.
If you suffer from a specific physical condition or limitation that might affect your ability to stretch correctly, it is best to consult with a healthcare professional for proper guidance on a stretching routine that is effective and safe for you. Healing Hands Chiropractic offers a wide range of programmes, such as knee pain treatment, lower back pain treatment, and frozen shoulder treatment. We aim to help you reach the best version of yourself. You may find out more about us at https://healinghands.com.sg/.
