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Stretching: An Important Aspect of Life

Many of us do not understand the importance of stretching and not nearly enough of us do it regularly.  Stretching daily can benefit your overall health and level of fitness in many ways.  Every person can benefit from regular stretching. While some believe that only certain athletes need to stretch – this isn’t true! All of us need to stretch our muscles on a regular basis in order to keep them strong, flexible, and healthy.

Why is stretching so important?

Stretching allows us to maintain our flexibility and that is essential to maintain a range of motion in our joints.  If we don’t stretch, our muscles will become very tight, putting ourselves at higher risk for injury.  When we forget to stretch and then engage in physical activity, our muscles will be unable to perform at the level needed from them.  The muscles will be weak and unable to extend to their full range, which then puts you at risk for muscle damage, joint pain, and strains.

Injured muscles will not be able to support the joints, leading to injury.  With stretching, muscles will remain flexible, healthy, lean and less force will be exerted on the muscle itself when engaging in physical activity.  Regular stretching can also be helpful for those who suffer from balance issues as it can prevent falls from occurring.

How can I benefit from stretching daily?

Stretching can decrease stress and muscular tension.  Chronic stress can cause fatigue, anxiety and depression.  A normal stretching routine paired with mindful breathing techniques can reduce stressors and mental tension.

Including different stretches every day can improve overall health.  It can help to reduce blood pressure, breathing rate and heart rate.  Static stretches as well as activities like yoga can reverse the body’s natural response to muscular tension and stress.

For athletes and those who train rigorously, regular flexibility training can enhance your performance.  Your stretching routine will help to improve muscular strength, agility, speed and power.

Our overall quality of life can be improved by incorporating a regular stretch.  In our later years of life, there are physiological changes that occur to our bodies and mind.  Stretching consistently and performing exercises that improve our range of motion will enhance not only our flexibility but overall longevity.

So, get up and go stretch!

If you want to make steps towards improving your flexibility, make sure to incorporate various lower and upper body stretches into your daily routine.  Being flexible is not only important for your physical performance but for everyday life!  If you rarely stretch and are very tight, it will take time to loosen up your muscles and notice change.  It may take weeks or even months to begin to see a change in your flexibility.  The muscles in our body are like a rubber band and can become more flexible with time and dedication.  If you are looking for the perfect gym to improve your flexibility and overall level of fitness, come on down to East End Fitness right here in Center Moriches!  It’s never too late to start improving your flexibility and health – start today!