Every morning before he got out of bed, my dad would do his “exercises”. He would lay on his bed, still in his pjs with one knee up to his chest and he would alternate legs. He would spend about 8 minutes doing this sort of thing all while still in bed! I would look at him and ask what he was doing cause it didn’t look like exercise to me. He told me he was “stretching”. Well, alot of good it did him, he passed away of a brain tumor at age 74yr. But, aside from that, he was physically healthy and robust and exercising long before Jack LaLane was making money opening up gyms. My dad was the peak of physical fitness and he was onto something…
Did you know that stretching is the one activity that can deepen the impact of your workout, improve the quality of your sleep and increase blood circulation- all at the same time! There are many benefits of stretching and they are not all physical; it can have a significant impact on your emotional state as well.
Here are some benefits of stretching:
1. Improve flexibility
Stretching reduces the chance of torn or ripped muscles and it helps to increase our range of motion.
2. Creates better allignment
Stretching helps to “re-center” us physically and emotionally as we put our body into balance.
3. Reduces stress
I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed, my muscles tense up. I can feel it immediately. The slow movement of stretching is calming to the mind and relieves tension and it makes stretching an effective way to reduce stress.
4. Improves posture
As a child, my parents would echo in unison the 3 words to me “stand up straight”! But wasn’t I tall enough ( I would think!). That wasn’t the point! Good posture can dramatically improve certain aspects of our physical health. And bad posture can be highly destructive (causing stiffness, soreness and aching muscles). I believe that our physical state directly affects our mental state. I can look at the way someone walks and identify their mood immediately. Stand up tall and you will feel proud.
It is worth it to stretch and there are many ways to do so. Like all new exercise programs, please consult your physician and identify your own personal and physical limitations before engaging in a stretching regimen.
I can’t tell you how much better I feel when I start and end my workouts with a stretching component.
How do you like to stretch? What are your favorite stretches that you do? I would love to hear so email me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com