Stretching - The Benefits

The body is designed to be flexible. It is designed to allow you to be able to bend down and pick something up, reach behind you to zip, button and tie clothing and allows you to reach up to grab something above your head.

These types of activities are done every day and you do not even think of what goes into these simple activities. There is nothing special about them they are simple daily movements. However, if you find you have difficulties with any of these activities you may already be in need of a stretching program.

Stretching - What Is It?

Stretching is simply the basic extension of any muscle or all muscles within the body. Any activity that involves stretching will involve the extension of your limbs.

How It Is Done

Stretching is one of the easiest activities to do. You can do activities involving stretching at any age and can do it through normal daily activities or through a special exercise program.

The extent the body stretching varies. For example, an older person is generally not as flexible as a younger person is because as you age muscles tend to tighten. This minimizes the range of motion that the joints have and can prevent you from doing the types of activities you want to do. This is why it is important, as you get older to add a stretching routine to your daily exercise routine.

Stretches are simple enough that they can be done every day, included in any lifestyle, and can easily become a part of daily activities. It does not require a lot of time.

When training, stretching is especially important. It is an integral part of any type of training. They help to prepare your muscles for the heavier activity of standard exercise and it is important that they be done first.

The majority of athletes are required to stretch before playing and often employ one of the easiest stretching techniques. This technique involves sitting on the ground, legs spread and reaching for your toes.

Ideally, stretching should be done for no more than 10 minutes. This gives you enough time to warm up the muscles and get them flexible without tiring the body out.

It is not advisable to go beyond 10 minutes, exercising using a stretching program for 30 minutes can tire muscles. Most stretching exercises are designed to assist individuals in preparing their bodies before more strenuous workouts or activities. It is important to balance warming the muscles up and making them more flexible with exercising them to the point of weariness.

The Benefits

1. Range of Movement Increases: The consistent application of stretching to the muscles allows the overall length of the tendons and muscles to increase. An increased range of motion can help to ensure that injury does not occur when you exercise or participate in strenuous activities.

2. Increase in the Skills You Can Perform: When your body can do more things, you are able to do more. As you increase your range of motion the number of and intensity of activities you can do increase. Stretching allows you to have a lifestyle filled with more activity.

3. Prevention of Injury: Stretching helps to prevent injuries to muscles, tendons and joints. Well-stretched tendons and muscles help decrease the soreness that is often felt after a workout and can help speed recovery when muscles and tendons are damaged. When stretched the muscles of the body are also able to handle heavier demands with less chance of becoming injured in the process.

4. Reduction of Muscle Tension: Muscle tension causes numerous problems, when you stretch you are less likely to have muscle pain. It is also less likely that the muscles will tighten and contract because they are being regularly worked.

5. Energy Enhancement: One of the benefits to exercise is an increase in the overall energy you have. Most people tend to increase their level of activity when they have more energy.

6. The Healthy Benefit of Cholesterol Reduction: Prolonged stretching exercises, like those done in yoga, have been shown to help reduce cholesterol within the body. This is done in conjunction with a healthy diet and helps to reduce the hardening of arteries, which can help, reduce your chance of heart related diseases.

Not much is required to make use of the benefits that stretching provides. It is an easy activity that can be done just about anywhere in a short amount of time. It helps to provide numerous benefits and helps you to complete routine daily activities with ease.

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