The benefits of stretching

Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano BA-Kin, CAT(C)
​                 Athletic Therapist

Stretching is an activity that most people do not practice as much as lifting weights and performing cardio workouts. It is probably the most underrated activity because in general, people do not see the benefits of stretching. Learning human anatomy stresses the movements and functions of each individual muscle in the body. The most important aspect of human anatomy is that the body is design to move, to bend left and right, to rotate and to bend forward and back. Every single joint from the neck to the ankle joint bend side to side, left and right and rotate.
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Most people that come into our clinic expressed that they do not know how to stretch and for how long and when to do the stretches. With stretching parameters, it will depend on the nature of what you do throughout the day.

Workplace:

• Standing and walking all day.
• Sedentary work (sitting in front of the computer).
• Student (sitting and studying all day long).
• Production workers (repetitive movements with shoulder or wrists).
• Delivery (lifting and carrying heavy packages)

Activities:

• Lift weights
• Running
• Bootcamp
• Throwing sports
• Jumping sports
• Dancing
• Hiking/walking

Understanding your daily activities at your workplace or home will determine which body part or stretches you need to do for balance so you can continue doing what you need and love to do. The goal of stretching is not to be flexible but to loosen muscle tension so your muscles and joints continue to function properly. 

Benefits of stretching:

There are different types of stretching style that you can adapt to your regular regimen. It could be full body flow like in yoga, or full body and specific joint/muscle stretches. If you’re a beginner in stretching, 5-10 minutes to start will be a good enough first step to take. In addition, here is a list of what to expect when you stretch.

What to expect:

• ild to moderate tension when stretching due to muscle tightness.
• You shouldn’t feel pain when stretching, so control the pull in certain stretches.
• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds to allow muscle release.
• In yoga, stretches and poses are held longer to focus on flexibility and breathing techniques along with meditation.
• You need to perform stretching frequently (daily) to gain all its benefit.
• Consistency with stretching will be noticeable for you with less muscle tightness and less achy joints.

If you are needing a stretching program or want to learn more about how to start stretching, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Also, we invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can find our Stretch Friday segments that you can follow along to. I hope this helps you understand the benefit of stretching and that you are starting your stretching journey today!