Many of us know that stretching exercises are part of our favorite sports and fitness programs. But even less physically active individuals can benefit from adding stretches to their daily routine.
Stretching helps the body stay active and mobile, said Nanci Berch, director of the Family Life Center at Heritage Baptist Church in Montgomery, a recreation ministry facility frequented by church members and community residents.
“I tell people, if you have five minutes, great! If you have 20 minutes, great!”
Fitness is a ministry for Berch, and she believes stewarding our bodies allows us to serve the Lord both in and out of season, to “go out and spread His Word.”
Stretching exercises are an important part of fitness and overall health, she said. Stretches help us keep living life to the fullest as long as we can. They also can make daily tasks easier; from grocery shopping to gardening, hoisting briefcases to hugging grandkids.
Types of stretching
As we carry out our day-to-day activities, we rely on our muscles to elongate and move us through a wide range of motions. That’s why stretching often and finding the right stretch routine are two of the best ways to promote our physical and mental wellness.
To understand the benefits of stretching, it’s important to learn about the principles of movement at play.
Dynamic stretching — According to the Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute, dynamic stretching involves “controlled movements” that “prepare the muscles and other soft tissues” for any specific “upcoming activity by increasing muscle temperature and decreasing stiffness.”
Dynamic stretches are the best way to start your day or warm up for exercise. They promote blood flow and activate dormant soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) by mimicking the movements you’ll be performing.
Some examples include standing kicks before a soccer game, lunges before a morning jog, or torso twists and leg swings before a long work shift on your feet.
Static stretching — Static stretching involves maintaining a stretched position. When you stretch a muscle as far as you can and hold it there, you are lengthening that muscle to the furthest extent of its range of motion.
Over time, your range of motion will increase, allowing for greater flexibility, improved mobility and healthier soft tissue.
Static stretches help us cool down and release tension after exercise or a long, stressful workday. They promote healthy blood flow to nourish and rebuild the muscles exercising breaks down.
Some examples include hamstring stretches, toe touches and shoulder stretches.
Health benefits
- Prevent injury. Why is flexibility so important?
When our muscles aren’t being stretched, they shrink and tighten, becoming dormant.
Trying to extend a dormant muscle can be dangerous because we’re asking it to stretch further than is possible.
When we don’t stretch before physical activity, we put ourselves at a higher risk of soft tissue strains and tears. Likewise, when we don’t incorporate any stretches into our daily lives, we risk overextending our muscles.
Even the most everyday tasks can be demanding for our muscles. Something as simple as turning your neck the wrong way or tweaking your lower back can spell persistent pain.
- Relieve pain. As the OSMI explains, “Short, tight muscles result in impaired movement patterns and compensation,” which can lead to chronic pain in both soft tissues and joints.
When our muscles are stiff and weak, normal activities place extra wear and tear on our joints. Building back healthy muscles allows for more fluid and supple movement, taking pressure off those joints.
A focused stretch routine can sometimes be the best pain relief for problem areas like the back, neck or shoulders.
- Release tension. Melvenia Redding is a personal trainer and group fitness coach for the Jackson Wellness Center in Montgomery. She instructs a dedicated stretch class called “Stretch and Strengthen.” Redding has often observed how clients come in with tense, aching muscles.
“Where you’re feeling tight, it’s probably because you’ve trained your body in a position,” she explained. Sitting for hours at a desk or computer, in front of a television or in the driver’s seat of a car can lead to neck and back problems. To retrain your body and loosen up, you have to “work the opposite way to lengthen those muscles.”
In practice, this may look like taking regular breaks from stationary tasks to walk around, stretch out and get your circulation flowing. You can also perform simple seated stretches throughout the day, like overhead arm stretches. Many of us carry pent-up stress in our neck and shoulders, so rolling those out is a great way to relax and unwind.
- Reduce stress. Stretching is one of the best methods of stress relief. It helps the body find a healthy balance when it comes to mental wellness and physical activity.
If we’re always on our feet and rushing through the day, stretching helps us slow down. It gives us time to rest and reflect. Conversely, if our days tend to be more stationary, a stretch routine frees us to get out of our chairs and engage both mind and body in active movement.
‘Stress reliever’
The OSMI reports that “stretching can lower blood pressure and improve artery function” like “a natural stress reliever.” Heart health and stress management go hand and hand, and a regular stretching routine promotes both.
- Build strength and balance. During Berch’s group fitness classes, her students use stretch exercises to build up power and balance. They “stretch with weights to increase bone density” and strengthen muscles. They frequently work on improving balance through stretches that shift their center of mass, take them “up on one foot,” or bring them low to the ground.
Stretching also promotes strength and stability through held positions like squats, lunges and static poses.
- Keep active and mobile. In her stretch classes, Redding aims to help students thrive both inside and outside the training room. “We do an active stretching where I try to mimic a lot of functional moves — functional for everyday activities that you do in your life.”
But the benefits are more than physical, she said.
“With whatever health that He’s given you, I think [stretching and exercise] are going to be honoring to Him. Because that’s why we’re here — to glorify Him in every way.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider before starting a new fitness routine.
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