Friday, February 02, 2024
The benefits of stretching for both your physical and mental self are endless. And yet, so many people do not stretch regularly. That’s why we’ve decided to highlight some of the benefits of stretching that will make you feel amazing.
Some of the top benefits of stretching include better circulation, improved posture, and even helps reduce lower back pain. The health benefits of stretching your body aren’t just limited to your physical health, but extend to your overall well-being. There are many mental benefits to stretching as well, such as helping to reduce stress and clearing your mind.
Let’s take a look at the importance of stretching and the benefits of daily stretching routines!
4 Benefits of Stretching Daily
The Benefits of Stretching #1: Reduces the chance of injury
Should you stretch before or after your workout? There are benefits to stretching before a workout, and there are benefits to stretching after a workout. But no matter when you do it, the primary reason to stretch around a workout is injury prevention.
If you frequently exercise, your muscles naturally become tighter. If you don’t stretch those tight muscles, you’re more prone to injury during exercise. Our muscles perform best when they are warmed up.
With that said, it’s also best to warm yourself up if you plan to stretch before a workout. However, a word to the wise, don’t just jump right into deep stretches. Warm up your muscles with an easy 10-minute walk, then go stretch.
The Benefits of Stretching #2: Promotes circulation and stress relief
Statistics on the benefits of stretching show that it can also aid in relieving stress by promoting better circulation.
When our body experiences emotional and physical stress, its natural response is to tighten up our muscles. When our muscles tighten, they restrict blood circulation to that area of the body, which adds further stress to the body.
And let’s be real, these days, everyone deals with physical and emotional stress. So, we’ve all got tight muscles. That’s why when you stretch them out, it opens those muscles back up to proper circulation. As a result, the effects of better circulation also promotes reduced stress overall.
The Benefits of Stretching #3: Improve posture
When our muscles become tight, they begin pulling on our body’s skeletal structure and cause improper posture over time. Have you ever seen someone with extremely rounded shoulders, or what seems like an exaggerated slouch? Well, that is most likely a result of tightening chest, shoulder, and back muscles that have grown weak over time.
One study showed that a combination of stretching and strengthening of underworked and overworked muscles could help reduce musculoskeletal pain and, as a result, help improve our overall posture.
The Benefits of Stretching #4: Reduces lower back pain
These days, we all sit more than ever. Do you know what happens to our lower body when we sit too much? Our hamstrings and hip muscles become tight. Unfortunately, when that happens, it puts a lot of strain on the lumbar spine, causing that lower back pain we all know and don’t love.
So by doing daily stretches that help open up the tight hamstrings and hips, you will also begin to notice the aches and pains in your lower back will also go away.
Endless Benefits of Stretching
These are just a handful of benefits that come from daily stretching. The bottom line is that all of us will benefit in one way or another from adopting a daily stretching routine. From better circulation to reduced lower back pain, there are many reasons to start stretching today!