There is tons of information out there encouraging the importance of stretching before we exercise but, if we look a little deeper, it would seem that no study can actually pinpoint scientifically why it is a benefit.
Well, science or no, most of us can agree that a nice stretch simply feels good. When we have been sing at our desks for a long period of time and we allow ourselves a second to simply stretch our arms up, or stand up and stretch our legs, there is no denying that this simple act makes us feel beer. A simple 10 minute gentle stretching routine every day can get your body in alignment, release tension in muscles, relax your mind and make you feel great.
Here are a few other facts we know about stretching, shared by yourwisdom.yahoo.com:
1. Stretching prevents injury and soreness by increasing the range of motion. By slowly and gently increasing the range of the moon for a joint or muscle group the less likely you are to have pain from hyperextending, or overuse.
2. Stretching eases fatigue and lactic acid burn. The burning feeling you might get in your legs or other parts of your body during prolonged workouts is lactic acid building up. Stretching relaxes the muscles and joints providing a place for the lactic acid to go without causing pain.
3. Stretching warms you up and cools you down. It’s prey hard to just jump right into a workout or finish a workout without a warm up or a cool down. Stretching is a great way to get your muscles and joints ready for the exercises you plan to do. It’s like telling your body it’s me to workout or cool down.
4. Stretching relaxes you. If you’re stressed or needing a moment to relax a bit, some gentle stretches help you to relax or give you a minute to regroup. It’s as simple as going to a quiet place and slowly bending to touch your toes a few mes to release tension in places we tend to hold it the most – our back and hamstrings.
