Have you been thinking that stretching is only useful to practice at the end of an intensive hour-long workout? True, stretching relieves pain and ease sore muscles but that’s not the only use it has, and it certainly has more importance than a closing exercise.
If you’ve worked a 9 to 5 white-collar job, you’d know how much your limbs wish to stretch when all you do is sit at the desk and stare at the screen. It’s only during smoke breaks or coffee sessions that you’re able to stretch the fatigue setting in your bones and feel relaxed. Why do you think your body likes it so much? That’s because stretching is a workout in itself that helps you stay fit more sustainably than HIIT or any other routine.
Since you can stretch anywhere anytime, the chances of working your body out this way are higher, hence making it more effective. It’s all about starting somewhere at some point!
[Read more: Ask a Yogi: A Beginner’s Guide to Stretching and Mobility]
Here are all the reasons that tell you why stretching should be a part of your routine.
Benefits for the Body
Did you think stretching can only help your body de-stress? If so, you were mistaken. Stretching has many benefits and those for the body alone are only one part of them.
[Read more: Yoga and Stretching for Physical Rehabilitation]
Following are the ways in which your body will feel fitter, more flexible and less tired with stretching:
- It enhances your range of motion and angles at which your body can flex and rotate.
- It improves body posture such as hunched-backs, drooping shoulders, head falling forward etc, by lengthening stressed muscles. Muscles often get tightened when you work long hours in a wrong posture and stretches fixes that.
- It prepares muscles by warming them up for an intensive workout and reduces the chances of workout injuries or severe sores.
- It regulates blood circulation and enhances supply of fresh, oxygenated bloodto deprived parts of the body. This also transfers nutrients to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery.
[Read more: The Benefits of Full Body Stretching Exercises – Infographic]
Benefits for the Mind
This may come as a surprise to you but stretching favors brain health, mood and cognition.
You’ll be shocked to know by how much you can improve your cognitive functioning. Here are some benefits that it offers for the mind:
- Calms an overworked brain, offers a mental break and soothes your nerves. Even a stretching routine that’s 15 minutes long can reinvigorate your mind from within.
- A lot of tension is gathered in your nerves more than in muscles and stretching helps de-stress your brain.
- Supplies fresh blood to the brain which enhances brain functioning like attention, memory, focus and concentration.
[Read more: Not Stretching Enough? Give This ‘Netflix and Stretch’ Routine A Try]
If you’re interested in finding out about fitness and stretching classes happening around you in midtown Manhattan, check out our page. It’s buzzing with all that’s new in the fitness world and you can book a class anytime.
