Stretching: The Forgotten Part of Living Healthy

Stretching: The Forgotten Part of Living Healthy

Many know about the importance of exercise in relation to having a healthy body and strong muscles. However, many forget about flexibility.

Those who aren’t used to stretching may associate it with Yoga, or something you do before running. But stretching is an integral part of ensuring our mobility and freedom of movement.

Stretching should be done on a daily basis to keep the muscles strong and flexible. This allows the muscles to maintain a wide range of motion.

Without this, muscles degrade over time and become tighter; this is why it’s harder to stretch if you haven’t stretched for a while and why it’s essential to stretch regularly.

Should you ignore stretching for an extended period of time, your muscles become weak and will be unable to reach full extension. This puts you at risk of joint pain, strains, and irreversible muscle damage that may impact your day to day life.

For example, if one were to sit in a chair all day, it would result in tight hamstrings in the back of the things (near the butt). This makes it challenging for the leg to reach full extension and makes the act of walking difficult.

Similarly, if tight muscles were suddenly needed to do strenuous activity like lifting a heavy object, the sudden stretch may cause permanent muscle damage.

Regular stretching is vital to keep the muscles strong and flexible. This means they will be ready for action any time they are needed and also keeps the rest of your body in good shape.

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