We talked last month about managing the stress in your life and methods that can be used to help you deal with the complexities of life.
The next few months we will be talking about stretching, exercise and nutrition to help us stay at optimum health and well-being and how these can help us be at our best at work, home or play.
The main purpose of stretching is to increase your range of motion within a muscle or joint. Some benefits of stretching include:
- Increase flexibility
- Reduce risk of injury
- Improve circulation
- Decrease anxiety and stress
- Relaxes muscles through increased circulation
- Can give you an overall feeling of well being by increasing your circulation thus bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the body cells.
- Reduces muscle imbalance
Muscles are more easily stretched when they are warm. A short warm-up period of 5 to10 minutes of walking, bicycling, or jogging in place will warm up your muscles enough so that you can stretch them well. It is best if you can stretch every day. It is especially important to stretch before weightlifting, running or participating in any sport. Stretching before an activity improves flexibility and reduces your risk of injury. Stretching after workouts help to relax the muscles and reduce soreness.
How should I stretch? There are several methods that can be used for stretching but the safest and most popular method involves static stretching. With static stretching, your muscle is slowly lengthened to the point where you feel a mild stretch. You then hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds and then slowly release the stretch. The most important rule to follow for any stretching exercise is that it must not be painful. If you stretch to the point of pain, the muscle will not relax and might even become tighter! To stretch safely, follow these rules:
- Never force a stretch—it should always be pain free
- Never stretch when your muscles are cold
- Stretching should be avoided if you have just injured a muscle or joint and there is noticeable swelling or bruising in the area.
- Use extra caution if you have osteoporosis or have been using steroid medicine for a long period of time.
- Avoid stretching in the area of a recent fracture
What stretches should I do? For a general stretching program, try to stretch all the major muscles of the body. If you are getting ready for a certain activity (such as running, tennis, walking, etc.) make sure you stretch the areas of your body that will be used in that activity.
Randy Pipes LMT
