Stretching is the most overlooked component of a healthy
lifestyle. Most people simply do not stretch, mainly because they do not know
of its benefits. People also fail to see that we stretch instinctively. Most
people stretch right after they wake up or have been inactive for an extended
period of time. When our bodies are inactive, our muscles actually contract and
shorten, which usually leads to fatigue and pain. When we stretch, we are
essentially “waking” our muscles up. By stretching, we are allowing our muscles
to lengthen and allow for more blood to circulate through. Proper stretching
yields a myriad of results.
Here are some of the top benefits:
1.
Increased flexibility – This is an obvious one. Flexibility
is a measure of how far a muscle can lengthen. Most people have very stiff
muscles and thus, a very little range of motion. This is actually extremely bad
for you. Those who have stiff muscles are more likely to suffer from muscle
strains and muscle pain. This is why we are always encouraged to stretch before
sporting and after athletic activity. If you want to be more flexible, then you
have to stretch.
2.
Better circulation – When we stretch, our
muscles are actively engorged with blood. By flooding our muscles with blood,
we are bringing them the oxygen and nutrients that they need. Then as the blood
exits our muscles, it takes with it the waste products that our muscles
produce. An example of this is lactic acid. Lactic acid is the cause of that “sore”
feeling. Stretching removes lactic acid from the muscles and allows for a quicker
recovery. This also results in increased energy. So for those that are
constantly plagued by fatigue, or find themselves falling asleep at the wrong
times of the day, can alleviate some of those problems by stretching.
3.
Muscular Imbalances – This is a topic that I knew
very little about till I began going to physical therapy. A muscular imbalance
is essentially happens when certain muscles are weak, and the muscles around
those have to make up for the weakness. I’ll use my own experience as an
example. I have terrible back pain, as some of you know. The cause for my back
pain is not in my back, but because of the lack of strength that I have in my hips.
My lower back muscles have to tighten in order to stabilize my hips. This is
just causing a plethora of problems for me. I stretch every night in order to
release some of the pressure in my back and to increase the strength of my hip
muscles.
4.
Balance and coordination – Stretching will
increase your balance. This is usually a result of reducing your muscular imbalances.
You’ll find that when your body is balanced, your body performs better. That is
not just meant for athletes. Simple tasks, such as walking or cleaning, will be
done more efficiently and will have much less of an impact on the body.
Anyone can benefit from stretching, and the truth is, that
everyone should be stretching.
Stretching is great! Even though I am a dancer, I have next to no flexibility and horrible circulation, but stretching really does work wonders. Your blog is so different from anyone else's, but I really appreciate it. It seems like good health is so overlooked in today's society; I think these helpful but simple reminders are a great way to make health more of a priority in today's world.
ReplyDeleteI think you are absolutely right. Stretching definitely is probably the most over looked part of sports. I think that people, especially in their youth, get the thought in their head that they are young and do not have to worry about pulling a muscle but that is absolutely false. I knew that stretching was very important; however, I did not know all of these things that it does do for us and I think that it is pretty cool that an act as simple as stretching can be so beneficial for our body. I think that coaches should spend more time stressing the importance of stretching and make sure to take time to make ensure everyone on the team stretches properly. It seems like in these days athletes are getting injured all the time, so from my point of view, it does not make sense for someone to not take the ten minutes to stretch and help prevent injuries.
ReplyDeleteGab, man you sound like you would be a good athletic trainer. I always find you posts interesting because I can benefit from them very well. As you already know I have to always be active and stay in good shape. We are always talking in the weight room about how much bigger we want to be or how cut we want to look. Haha “curls get girls and tries scare guys.” That always cracks me up when I work out the biceps and triceps. But all in all, I really like your posts. A future post that you could put up is probably protein drinks, pre-workouts, and creatine. That definitely would be an interesting one to read.
ReplyDeleteGabe, you my bro and we talk about stuff like this all the time, especially since we both have been to physical therapy. I didn’t know all the benefits of stretching until I talked to Colvin and Dave about it. My flexibility has increased so much just because I stretch more often now and I know some good ways to strengthen myself while stretching.
ReplyDelete