Hey Ninjas!
So, no one likes to stretch. I mean that 15 or 20 minutes when we are all on the go and running late.. yeah time is important.
BUT SO IS STRETCHING!
Trust me, when you get into the habit of stretching, you will thank me. Flexibility training is an essential, yet often overlooked health-related component of fitness. Study after study support the short and long term benefits of various kinds of stretching. So here are some reasons we all should incorporate stretching into our daily routines:
Decreased Stress
Stretching can be especially relaxing mentally if you pair it with deep breathing. Regularly stretching has been shown to reduce mental tension and, when combined with mindful breathing techniques, may also help to decrease anxiety and depression.
Every time you release a deep breath, imagine you’re letting go of a stressor in your life and then sink a tiny bit lower into the stretch.
Reduced Pain and Stiffness
Research shows stretching can increase your range of motion and mobility while decreasing your pain. The key is to go slowly: Ease into each stretch and hold it without bouncing, and gradually increase the depth of the stretch over time.
Improved Heath
Counteracting the body’s physiological responses to stress and muscular tension can be achieved through stretching.
Disciplines such as yoga, can help to reduce blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate,
Enhanced Range of Motion
Stretching can help increase your range of motion—both temporarily and in the long-term. The temporary gains may be the result of your nervous system becoming more tolerant to a stretch position. These gains often disappear within a day or even a few hours. To actually lengthen the muscle and thus improve your range of motion long term, you need to stretch diligently about five to six days a week.
Reduced Risk of Injury
Dynamic stretches are often used as part of a warm-up to help increase core body temperature and functionally prepare the body for the movements that are to come. As a result, stretching is often considered an important part of injury prevention, as cold muscles and tendons in the body have a greater likelihood of rupture, strain or sprain.
Enhanced Performance
When included as part of a well-rounded fitness routine, regular flexibility training, which includes dynamic stretching, can help enhance agility, power, speed and muscular strength.
Improved Quality of Life
Although there are physiological changes that occur as we grow older, regularly stretching and performing range of motion exercises can improve flexibility at any age, helping to increase longevity and enhance overall quality of life.
So no more EXCUSES!
Get to it!