Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? It might be a little hard if you’re not flexible, but you can train your body. Stretching benefits your health by relaxing muscle tension and minimizing stress.It helps maintain your muscle mass and strength with a flexibility routine. Make sure to focus on major muscle groups, hold stretches and most importantly keep up with your stretches. Consistency is key because if you don’t use it, you will lose it!

 Stretching benefits health

As the body ages, the muscles range of motion(ROM) is minimized and tend to tighten. The tension on the muscles will cause stress and have a negative impact on your body. A 10-15 minute stretch will help your body relax and recharge for future physical activities.  Healthy stretching improves flexibility and ROM in your joints. An increase in flexibility will decrease risk of injury. This particular activity will also increase blood flow to muscles.

To all my female readers out there, if you suffer from emotional imbalance, bloating and/or pain then starting a flexibility routine or joining a yoga class will be most beneficial. During long term stretches and classes, a natural antidepressant called allopregnanolone is released. You will be able to exercise for longer periods of time, become less tired during the day and sleep like a baby at night.

Promoting healthy stretching

Stretching benefits health in several ways:

1) It will promote better posture- elongate your back and straighten your spine.

2) Great for the glutes- Repetitive sitter? By constantly sitting, the glute muscles begin to degenerate and over stress. This can lead to long term pain.

3) Good for your thoracic spine- simple rotational stretches will help loosen tightness in the neck/ shoulders.

4)  Increase balance

5) Less likely to injure yourself.

When in doubt, STRETCH.

“Yoga is the fountain of youth. You’re only as young as your spine is flexible.”

Here is more information on stretching and types of stretches.