Isn’t stretching just to become flexible? Why is stretching important? These are all great
questions, and I cannot stretch the benefits of stretching enough to anyone! No matter what age
you are stretching it is essential for your well-being. It’s known for reducing stress, prevents more
injuries than you can count, and yes… it will increase your range of motion!
If you suffer from headaches or body aches, stretching is definitely for you! You may be
surprised to know that stretching also reduces headaches by increasing blood circulation. There
are many types of techniques for stretching. Today we’ll dig deep and discover which type of
stretching techniques are best suited for you!
I think it’s important to consider why we should stretch daily. There are thousands of stretching
exercises listed all over the internet and can be quite overwhelming to know which ones to
implement. Stretching should be implemented pre-workout and post-workout! As well as, if
you’re feeling up for it can even be great right when you wake up or go to bed to relieve stress by
calming your mind! Let’s talk about the top 10 benefits of stretching and why!
10 Top Benefits of Stretching Are:
- Range of Motion
You can improve your joints range of motion by stretching. By increasing your flexibility, you can reduce the degeneration of your joints over time. - Prepares your body for muscular stress of exercising
Weighted workouts or even cardio… your muscles need to be warmed up before
experiencing the impact or stress of exercising. - Manages/reduces stress
Stretching is proven to reduce stress significantly! This is why yoga is so effective and is a
form of meditation. - Relieves body aches and pains
Relieving body aches and pains by stretching to lengthen muscles after a hefty workout
will help reduce soreness the next day. - Promotes circulation
Stretching supplies greater blood flow to your joints and muscles bringing greater
nutrients to every area of your body! - Improves posture
Stretching your lower back with a cobra pose or child’s pose will strengthen the muscles
that help you sit up straight! - Prevents risk of lower back pain
Similarly to improving posture, stretching the lower back and hips can relieve existing
pain lengthening shortened muscles - Reduce the risk of injuries
By improving the range of motion in your body decreases the resistance On your body’s
muscles during physical activity - Improves performance of physical activity
Overall stretching allows for a more energy-efficient range of motion. This significantly
improves the performance of your physical activity. - Reduces headaches
Just like meditation, stretching relieves your mind and is a great way to decompress after
a long day. Because of the increased blood circulation in your body when stretching you
will experience fewer headaches!
Stretching techniques to implement into your daily routine:
● Ballistic stretching.
Ballistic stretching Means bouncing into stretching by warming up the muscles. An example of
this would be bouncing on your toes to warm up the calf muscle!
● Dynamic stretching.
Dynamic stretching means using a full range of motion to warm up the whole body. An example
of this would be the inchworm or plank walkout movement. This stretching does not have to be
intense.. it is purely to involve the whole body in movements to increase overall flexibility.
● Active stretching.
Active stretching is also known as static stretching, this means holding a position like an
overhead side reach to engage and lengthen muscles that aren’t frequently used.
● Passive (or relaxed) stretching.
Passive stretching is when you hold a position for a set amount of time intending to relax your
body into the movement. An example of this would be the Cobra pose or Child’s pose in yoga to
stretch your lower back muscles.
● Static stretching.
Static stretching is most frequently used and seen, especially in physical therapy! Static
stretching means reaching in a position to the furthest point you can go and holding it for at
least 15 to 20 seconds! This focuses on a single muscle group at a time.
● Isometric stretching.
Isometric stretching is almost like static stretching however, it uses the resistance of other
muscle groups to stretch other muscle groups. An example of this would be a side bridge or
plank. Fun fact, in yoga isometric stretching is included in the tree pose!
In conclusion,
I hope you found purpose and insight into the benefits of stretching exercises in this blog today.
There are many forms of stretching, from lengthening relaxing poses to advanced techniques
such as isometric stretching! Regardless of which stretching technique you decide to implement
into your life, you are sure to see the benefits over time.
My best tip would be to find what benefit of stretching peaks your interest the most and look at the list of stretching techniques to pick one accordingly. The benefits of stretching are endless. One thing is for certain that you
don’t have to be a certain age or someone who practically lives at the gym to gain from the benefits of stretching!
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