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“Few would argue against the fact that flexibility is an important component of fitness”, or that being more flexible is an integral part of a pain free, active lifestyle. However, stretching and flexibility are often overlooked or misused. Most would agree that stretching is a simple activity that one hears people talking about but rarely sees anyone doing. How can an activity that is so simple and beneficial be so misunderstood? Lets find out. First, here are some good reasons to stretch and then I’ll tell you how to get a stretching program of your own started.
Here are some of the benefits of stretching:
- Decreased risk of low-back pain. Strong evidence indicates that keeping the hamstring muscles, hip flexors and the muscles attached to the pelvis is critical in reducing the stress to the lumbar spine.
- Decreased risk of injury.
- Increased physical efficiency and performance. A flexible joint requires less energy to move through the range of motion.
- Increased blood supply and nutrients to joint structures.
- Range of motion exercises increase the quantity and decrease the viscosity, or thickness, of synovial fluid, the fluid that lubricates the joints. Healthy synovial fluid also allows greater freedom of movement and may decelerate joint degenerative processes.
- Improved muscular balanced and postural awareness. This means being more flexible helps counter the effects of postural habits that make one tired and in pain and can help to achieve and maintain good posture in activities of daily living.
- Reduced muscular tension. In general, stretching promotes muscular relaxation. When muscles are always tight, they use more energy, thus making you tired.
Research indicates that a low-force, long-duration (30-90 seconds) stretch done regularly produces longer, supple and more relaxed muscles. This occurs because the connective tissue in our muscles and around our joints responds to the stretch in a plastic-like or taffy-like way. As the muscle and connective tissue is stretched, it warms and elongates. Studies also show that muscles stretched regularly in this way every day or every other day don’t immediately go back to the way they were, they retain the changes. This makes changing old postural habits and getting rid of musculo-skeletal issues like low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, calf pain, ankle and foot pain a very attainable goal. So much so that the title to this article could be, ”Relieve back pain in just 10 minutes a day!”
So, for the above benefits to be lasting, stretching should be done every day or every other day. That may sound like quite a commitment but stretching can be easily incorporated into your daily routine and can be accomplished without having to put on workout clothes or getting out a mat. It’s also a way to change or address a chronic pain situation without having to make pain medication a part of a daily active lifestyle.
The first and most important step in starting a stretching program is to make realistic time goals for your stretching program. If you set a stretching goal of thirty minutes a day four times a week, and discover you can’t really manage it and beat yourself up about it, you’ve programmed yourself to fail and be frustrated, not to stretch and feel better. Ten minutes a day, twice a day will work quite well for most people. Less time per session but more sessions a day, like five minutes three times a day, is very effective, too. Even one ten minute session, once a day will make a big difference. You can find the time, you really can.
Over the next few weeks I’ll feature stretches for one muscle per article. That way, it will be easy to understand and easy to do. Incorporating stretching into your daily routine is so simple and the benefits are huge. Try it.
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