Unlock Your Potential
Do you wake up moaning and groaning, feeling worse than when you fell asleep? Well, you could do with a new mattress...or your muscles and joints might be so locked up they're unable to relax. Stretching is one of the most accessible and rewarding forms of easy exercise, as we will explore in this article.
1. Increased Flexibility
Flexibility is an essential yet underrated aspect of health. Flexible muscles are ones that are long, loose, and limber, able to take on anything. Flexibility is especially important to consider when aging can lead to reduced mobility.
2. Wider Range Of Motion
Think of your range of motion as your physical passport to freedom. The wider your range is, the more you can achieve. Muscles and joints tighten up when they aren't being used, which can lead to atrophy. Muscles with a wide range of motion are muscles in peak performance.
3. Blood Circulation
Stretching improves blood flow to the targeted muscle groups. Increased blood flow comes with a whole range of hidden benefits. Some benefits of good circulation include regulated body temperature, heart health, and increased healing.
4. Improved Posture
If you, like us, sit at a desk all day, you probably worry about your posture, and if you don't, you probably should. Stretching improves posture by reducing muscle imbalances and alleviating some of the tension that bad posture can carry. Good posture helps maintain your body's alignment while preventing muscle and joint stress.
5. Stress Relief
Stretching doesn't just help you body, it can also help your mind! Stress, anger, and trauma can all pile up in the body and weigh you down. Your body will feel better once you push all that pain away, and we bet your mind will as well!
6. Decreased Injury Risk
A flexible body is like a safety net under a tightrope: it reduces the risk of injuries, even if you know what you're doing. If your muscles are consistently warmed up, they're less likely to fail on your. If you've had injuries in the past, focus on where those injuries were to ensure you have equal flexibility on both sides of your body.
7. Pain Relief
Pain—whether it be chronic or acute—can be debilitating, especially if left untreated. While stretching cannot ease all pain, it can help alleviate the tightness and pressure of angry joints and muscles. Stretching should lead to pain rather than cause it.
8. Promotes Mindfulness
We throw around the word mindfulness a lot, but what does it actually mean and what does stretching have to do with it. Mindfulness is all about being awake in the present and accepting it for what it is. Stretching enhances the connection between your body and your mind, letting you detach from worry and stress.
9. Athletic Performance
Whether you're a long-time athlete or looking to start, regular stretching can boost your performance. Stretching is an essential part of warming up and can help you achieve more in your exercise. Dynamic stretching, which puts muscles and joints through a full range of motion, is especially helpful.
10. Injury Recovery
As with pain, stretching cannot entirely prevent injuries, but it can ease them and help you recover. Regular stretching can help cut down on recovery time with some help from increased blood flow.
Now that we've covered some benefits of stretching, let's get into a few that you can do right now
1. Toe Touch
Can you touch your toes? It's totally okay if you can't. A simple toe touch is one of the easiest stretches you can do, and one of the most rewarding. Not only does this stretch work your hamstrings, lower back, and shoulders, but it can help you track your flexibility progress.
2. Stair Lunge
Lunges help open up tightened hip flexors, which contribute to lumbar and pelvic pain. Your hip flexors don't like it when you sit for extended periods of time, so this stretch is especially helpful as a muscular palate cleanser after a long day of work. Using a railing or wall for balance will help deepen the stretch.
3. Spinal Twist
You don't even have to leave bed to do this stretch—in fact, it can help you most when done first thing in the morning. If you sleep all tied up in knots, this stretch can ease the pain in your neck, lower back, and between your shoulder blades. It can also stimulate digestion.
4. Shoulder Stretch
Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles that, well, helps your shoulders rotate. For people who play golf, tennis, or baseball, rotator cuff problems can be frequent offenders hindering a good game. This stretch will keep your shoulders flexible.
5. Chest Opener
We've talked a lot about poor posture, but what can you actually do to improve it? A simple chest opener is one of the best ways to make you aware of your posture and help improve it. Good posture is also linked to better breathing and less chest tightness.
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6. Standing Quad
This is a stretch you often see runners do before a race. A standing quad stretches your knees, hips, and calves to help your body reach its potential. If you need help balancing, use a wall or a chair.
7. Cobra Stretch
Cobra stretch is another one that you can do in bed first thing in the morning. It not only strengthens your spine, but increases back flexibility. Additionally, this stretch helps to open your chest, abdomen, and torso.
8. Neck Stretch
Much like back pain, neck pain is a persistent ailment of office workers. A tense neck can lead to tension headaches or migraines, so incorporating this stretch into your daily routine will keep things from tightening up. Go easy on your neck, you don't want to be jerking it around like chiropractic clickbait content.
9. Bound Angle
Bound angle, or butterfly pose, depending on who you ask, is a super accessible hip opener. In addition to working your hip flexors, this stretch also helps your groin, knees, and inner thighs. Bound angles can also strengthen the pelvic floor and ease menstrual cramps.
10. Knees-To-Chest
One reason for back pain might be that the muscles of your lower back are not strong enough to support your body, This simple stretch helps to strengthen those muscles and can be done with one or both knees. However, those with osteoporosis should avoid this stretch as it may lead to compression fractures.
