Most people’s daily routine is not conducive to good posture or limber muscles. Most of us spend our days slumped at a desk, or sitting in a car only to unwind laying on a couch. Our habits with mobile devices and computers certainly do make any of this any better. Knowing that our lifestyles often render us inactive and sedentary––or at the very least, sitting in unnatural positions all day––many intentionally initiate an exercise program to keep our heart, muscles and bones strong and functioning properly. Often though, even people who are active forget to perform a simple task that has tremendous benefits: Stretch.
Most of us think of stretching as an activity you briefly perform before you participate in sports, but stretching has benefits beyond just preventing injury during physical activity. Stretching confers enough benefit that it is something you should incorporate into your routine on a regular basis.
Learning how to stretch is as easy as searching on YouTube for a tutorial video, but for a more personalized lesson, personal trainers can be beneficial for this. It is important to remember to start slowly and work your way up to more complex forms of stretching.
Here are some of the benefits associated with stretching.
Increase Flexibility And Range Of Motion
Flexibility is something many people struggle with, and stretching can help improve your flexibility. This can have very positive, real-world benefits for most people. Simple activities that may have been a struggle before will likely become easier. Stretching also improves your body’s range of motion, which is good for preventing injury and making daily activities easier to execute.
Increased Blood Flow
Similar to exercise, stretching can increase blood flow to your muscles. This can help prevent muscle soreness and improve recovery times following workouts.
Supports Healthy Posture
It is important to support your musculoskeletal system the same way you support any other bodily system for good health. One way to to support this system in the body is to stretch regularly. Stretching can improve your posture and also help to make you more aware of when your posture is poor.
Can Help Prevent Certain Types Of Pain
Because of the way most of sit every day, and because many people do not exercise regularly, many people suffer from pain their back and shoulders. Stretching can help relieve back pain and pain in other parts of the body. Stretching may also help relieve tension headaches.
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