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By Functional Fitness Facts

Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity. People often stretch instinctively after waking from sleep or after long periods of inactivity.

As a form of exercise, stretching involves elongating a specific muscle or muscle group to its fullest length.

Here are the top five benefits of stretching:

1. Increases flexibility.

Flexibility is the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen. Lack of flexibility causes your movement to become slower and less fluid and makes you more susceptible to muscle strains, ligament sprains and other soft tissue injuries. The most effective way to increase your flexibility is by stretching.

2. Improves circulation.

Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles. This increased blood flow brings more nourishment to the muscles and removes more waste byproducts from the muscles. Increased blood flow can also help speed up recovery from muscle and joint injuries.

3. Improves balance and coordination.

The increased flexibility that comes from stretching improves balance and coordination. Improved balance and coordination lowers your risk for falls.

4. Helps alleviate lower back pain.

Stiff and tight muscles in the lower back, hamstrings, buttocks and hips is one of the more common causes of lower back pain. Stretching these muscles will alleviate the pain.

5. Helps improve cardiovascular health.

Recent studies have found that stretching can improve artery function and lower blood pressure.

In conclusion, don’t overlook the benefits of stretching. Make sure that stretching is a regular part of your fitness program.

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Stretching has so many benefits.  Just start a program of stretching, and you’ll soon notice many of them.  Some of the benefits of stretching are–

By Heart Of Healing

• relief from pain
• increased energy levels
• increased flexibility
• better range of motion of the joints
• greater circulation of blood to various parts of the body
• relaxation and stress relief
• enhanced muscular coordination
• improved posture
• greater sense of well-being

Increased flexibility and range of motion.

As we age, our muscles tighten and we have less range of motion in our joints. Simple activities that we once took for granted, like cutting our toenails, picking things up from the floor or zipping a dress, can all become difficult. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make these daily activities easier and more enjoyable.

Improved circulation.

Stretching improves circulation of blood to the muscles and joints. Increased blood circulation, of course, brings nutrients to our cells and removes waste byproducts.

Better posture.

Chronically tense and tight muscles contribute to poor posture, which in turn can affect the functioning of our internal organs, not to mention our appearance. Stretching the muscles of the lower back, shoulders and chest can help keep the back in better alignment and improve posture.

Relaxation and stress relief.

Stretching, done properly, helps to relax tense muscles which result from stress. The feeling of relaxation brings a sense of well-being and relief from tension.

Reduce or prevent lower back pain.

Greater flexibility and range of motion in the hamstrings and muscles of the hips and pelvis help to reduce the stress on your spine that causes lower back pain.

What We’ve Learned from Stretching Experts,
Jacques Gauthier & Dorothée Lavoie

We’ve heard many peoples’ stories from stretching expert, Jacques Gauthier when he has taught stretching in our area.  In Jacques’ experience, the benefits of stretching are often much more far-reaching than those described above. He has known people who have reported great improvement and sometimes complete healing from arthritis, multiple sclerosis, headaches, back/neck/shoulder pain, bursitis, depression, fatigue and even conditions like fibromyalgia. (Read what Jacques has written about this.)

Jacques feels that the pain relief many people experience with stretching is due to its effect in reducing inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effect of stretching has been demonstrated in a study showing that stretching reduced heel pain in a condition known as plantar fasciitis. (Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition.)

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There’s a common expression in life – “use it or lose it” This certainly applies when it comes to stretching the body. Unfortunately however, many people avoid it, execute it poorly or don’t do enough of it.

By Stretch A Flex
The body relies on being stretched, much like a car needs regularly servicing. Here are some of the benefits of stretching:

• Improves flexibility – Being flexible is beneficial for everyday life. It allows you to push your body beyond its comfort zone, thus increasing your overall physical ability.

• Improves the range of motion in your joints – This provides better balance, which will help keep you mobile and less susceptible to falls.

• Improves circulation – Stretching increases the blood flow to your muscles, thus improving your circulation.

• Relieves stress – Stretching relaxes tense muscles that often accompany stress. This helps relax the mind as well.

• Injury prevention and recovery – Stretching helps condition the muscles and joints, thus helping to prevent injuries and reduce recovery time.

• Improves posture and technique – Stretching prevents muscles and joints from seizing up and improves elasticity, allowing better posture and technique.

• Increase the length of relaxed muscles

• Increased power and elasticity of our muscles

• Increased endurance and metabolism

• Assist in achieving better coordination, muscle control and proper technique

• Enable your body to perform more with less energy

Unlike 20 years ago, people today are generally more conscious of the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating. We understand the benefits of feeling physically and mentally fit, as well as the importance of quality life. What many people fail to comprehend is that regular stretching has just as much influence on our body’s ability to perform effectively, if not more.

“Basketball legend Michael Jordan said one of the main reasons why he played in the NBA well into his late 30s was because of all the stretching he did as part of his fitness routine.”

Craig Smith, BBC News Sport

Why is Stretching Often Neglected?

There are a number of reasons why people don’t stretch. Non-athletes in particular, tend not to stretch unless their muscles or joints feel stiff or sore. These symptoms usually occur as a result of a physical movement that is foreign to the body. It’s only then the benefits of stretching is realised.

For many athletes, stretching usually takes place 10 – 15 minutes post warm-up. This often leads them to think that they’re ready for action and consequently they brush aside their stretching exercises. This is a major cause of injuries.

Not stretching after an event is also a problem. Quite often an athlete is so lethargic that they forgo stretching and head for the hanging rooms instead. This causes muscles and joints to seize up and stiffness to occur the following day.

Repercussions of Not Stretching

If you do not stretch your muscles are tight, what does it mean?

• Decreased mobility
• Decreased muscle metabolism
• Decreased muscle coordination
• Decrease power “output”
• Decreased speed
• Increased risk of injuries

We all know how important stretching is, especially before, during and after exercise, but how many people religiously do it when required? We all have different stretching needs and it’s a matter of determining which bracket you fall into, to ensure that you’ve got it right and not exposing yourself to the risk of injury.

Athletes

Stretching is crucial for all athletes. There are a number of sports that require vigorous body movements and pressure on the muscles and joints, including cycling, martial arts, gymnastics, weightlifting, football and running.

The number of leg muscle strains and tears that occur in sport is overwhelming, so one must question just how many of these injuries could be avoided if athletes stretched properly when required?

Non-athletes

People who exercise infrequently or not at all are more prone to injury, mainly because their bodies aren’t conditioned to comfortably cope with movements that the body isn’t used to. Stretching can help resist injury as well as speed up injury recovery.

Elderly

For a lot of elderly people, maintaining mobility can be difficult to achieve. Muscles and joints weaken and range of movement deteriorates. Stretching helps develop and maintain strength in these areas and can significantly provide greater quality of life.

Regular stretching is good for blood circulation, allowing greater injury prevention and quicker recovery. The key is to start stretching at an early age, to ensure that you are mobile when you get older.

Stretch Effectively with the Stretchaflex

Time and time again you’ll come across someone stretching with poor technique, not long enough, or not at all. It’s a common occurrence and most of us are guilty of it. Leaning over to stretch the hamstrings for 2 seconds and rolling the ankles for 5 seconds before or after a football match is clearly not enough.

But it’s not just exercise that requires you to stretch regularly. No matter what profession you’re in, whether you’re a computer-based customer service rep, a mechanic or a painter, you need to stretch properly at least 1 – 2 times a day.
When stretching, you should hold your stretch position for 10 – 30 seconds. Anything less than 10 seconds will prove ineffective and often pointless.

Flexibility – One of the Four Main Components of Fitness

• Cardiovascular endurance
• Strength
• Nutrition
• Flexibility

However, it is often the most neglected aspect of fitness.  How much time, money, and effort have you put into the these three areas of fitness? But neglected the importance of correct stretching?

One of the greatest benefits of stretching with a Stretchaflex is that no warm-up is required; your muscles are engaged from the moment you start using it. This allows you to stretch quickly, safely and effectively. By opting for this natural, body-friendly alternative, you have complete control over the amount of stretch you receive. Once you get going, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to stretch and just how rewarding it can be.

Effective stretching doesn’t require an expensive stretching machine, nor does it require the presence of a gym instructor. All you need is a flexibility enhancer, made from super strong webbing with two Velcro-style hooks.
By opting for this natural, body-friendly alternative, you have complete control over the amount of stretch you receive. Once you get going, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to stretch and just how rewarding it can be.
Isn’t it about time you got serious about flexibility?