Benefits of Stretching

Stretching promotes flexibility and helps your joints maintain a healthy range of motion—and in doing so, also lowers the chances of joint and muscle strain. But did you know that it can also help slow the degeneration of joints and helps reduce and manage stress? Here are some reasons why you should make stretching a part of your daily routine.

1. Get a Better Workout: Stretching prepares the body to exercise by loosening the muscles. A flexible joint requires less energy to move which means stretching creates more energy-efficient movement in exercise. When less energy is put on your joints during exercise, you have more energy to exercise longer and prevent an injury.
2. Promotes Blood Circulation: Stretching increases the blood supply to your muscles and joints which means that the transportation of nutrients is increased and overall blood circulation is improved throughout the body. When you consider the benefits of good circulation due to stretching, you understand why you should stretch everyday.  
3. Increases Flexibility: Flexibility increases strength and speed when you exercise. Not only can improved flexibility help you to perform everyday activities with relative ease, but it can also help delay the reduced mobility that can come with aging.
4. Relieves Pain: Stretching your hip flexors may relieve pain and pressure on the spine; stretching your calves may relieve pain caused by shin splints; stretching your feet may relieve pain from plantar fasciitis. It can also relieve muscle pain, soreness, and tenderness that accompanies exercise. Stretching helps keep your joints fluid and free and can help prevent joint diseases such as arthritis. With the increased blood supply that comes to the joints through stretching, the range of motion in the joints is increased, slowing down the degeneration of joints.
5. Improves Posture: If you stretch the muscles in your shoulders, lower back, and chest, your back will better align and your posture will be improved!
6. Reduces and Manages Stress: Stretching reduces the tension in your muscles which results in less stress throughout your whole body. On days that you are feeling especially stressed, try stretching all the muscles in your body, starting with your face muscles, until you get down to the muscles in your feet to feel the pent up stress leave your body.
7. Helps Decrease Tension Headaches: Tension and stress headaches can interfere with your daily life. In addition to a proper diet, adequate hydration, and plenty of rest, stretching may help reduce the tension you feel from headaches.

Stretching is an easy, efficient way to improve the overall well-being of your body. Stretching everyday is the best way to get all of the benefits listed above. If you need to, start small by adding 5-10 minutes of easy stretching to your daily routine and work up to more vigorous stretches as your body becomes more adapted to the routine.