With sedentary jobs on the rise, stretching is only becoming more and more important. After all, our muscles have to be challenged in more than one way in order to keep them working effectively. In fact, there are many reasons why stretching should be implemented into your daily routine and the team here at The Healthy Living and Fitness have decided to shed some light on the matter…
Prevents Injury
When we stretch, our muscle fibres become stronger and healthier which allows us to maintain a wide range of motion in the joints. As a result, we are less likely to suffer from a sports related injury because our muscles have been taken care off in the long run. After all, although there has been much debate on the topic, it is widely accepted that tight muscles leave you susceptible to tears and strains.
Improves Flexibility
Stretching your muscles before and after rigorous exercise is important in order to encourage recovery. In fact, when we stretch our muscles we actually develop our range of flexibility, especially after exercise because our muscles are more pliable. Having a degree of flexibility goes hand in hand with injury prevention and is another great reason why you should actively stretch on a daily basis.
Bad Posture
When we don’t stretch our muscles, some will tighten over time whilst others become weaker. As a result, we tend to develop a bad posture. In fact, office workers who make no effort to exercise out of working hours are the most susceptible to tight muscles in the neck and lower back and this can eventually lead to chronic pain.
Many people wrongly believe that stretching is only for yoga enthusiasts, pilates lovers and natural born gymnasts, however the reality is that every single person should incorporate it into their lives. After all, if we abandon exercise all together then our muscles tighten, and we can actually start to develop aches and pains. To find out more information, get in contact with a member of The Healthy Living and Fitness team today!