10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF STRETCHING

10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF STRETCHING Stretching is very important for flexibility, range of motion and injury prevention. Incorporating stretching into your daily workouts is a given but including it in your daily routine is just as important to health and body functioning as regular exercise. It relaxes your muscles and increases blood flow and nutrients to your cartilage and muscles. Here are the 10 health benefits of stretching.

1. Increased circulation

• When you stretch, you stimulate blood flow to the muscles in the area of the body that you’re stretching. This increased flow of blood supplies these muscles with oxygen and essential nutrients. It also carries waste materials away from the muscles. Doing this keeps them healthy and fully functional and allows them to perform at their peak.

 

2. Greater Flexibility

• Stretching regularly loosens and lengthens your muscles and also increases the range of motion in your joints. This results in you becoming much more flexible and allows you to perform day to day tasks that involve bending and reaching with ease.

   

3. BETTER BALANCE

• The increased range of motion in your joints that comes from consistent stretching also has a positive effect on your balance and allows you to easily remain centered in a range of positions. This improves your performance during exercise and makes performing daily tasks much easier.

 

4. LOWER STRESS LEVELS

• Regular stretching reduces your stress levels and helps you relax in two main ways: First, the enhanced circulation ensures that there’s always a healthy supply of blood to the brain which makes it easier to stay focused and mentally calm. Second, the increased flexibility relieves physical tension in your body and helps you feel loose and relaxed at all times.

 

5. REDUCED INJURY RISK

• Another big benefit of stretching is that it protects against injuries both during exercise and throughout the day. The loosening and lengthening of the muscles allows you to move them freely and reduces the chances of them tearing while the increased range of motion in the joints allows you to bend them further without them spraining or snapping.

 

6. REDUCED PAIN

• If you suffer from back pain, joint pain or muscle pain, a consistent stretching routine will help. It eliminates the pain associated with poor posture and also relieves tension and soreness in the muscles and joints.

 

7. MORE ENERGY

• The increase blood flow that comes from stretching regularly has a positive effect on your energy levels. Blood contains glucose and oxygen which supply your muscles with energy when they need it. It also contains essential nutrients that allow your muscles to fully utilize the energy and perform at their peak.

 

8. INCREASED MOBILITY

• As you get older, you naturally lose mobility and day to day tasks such as walking, reaching for items on shelves and bending down to tie your shoelaces become increasingly difficult. Stretching keeps you supple and flexible and allows you to stay active and maintain your mobility.

 

9. IMPROVED POSTURE

• Many people don’t focus on the way they carry their body and suffer from poor posture. This leads to skeletal problems, back pain and more. Consistent stretching reverses the damage caused by bad posture and also helps re-align the spine and improve your overall posture.

 

10. INCREASED EXERCISE PERFORMANCE

• Stretching regularly boosts your exercise performance in various ways. The improved energy levels maximize your workout performance while the better balance that comes from consistent stretching improves your exercise form. In addition to this, the enhanced flexibility that comes from consistent stretching makes your movements during exercise smooth and fluid and also protects against the most common exercise injuries.