Stretching is #lyfe
I know…another blog on stretching. Boring subject, but a crucial issue to discuss so bare with me for a few minutes.
Stress:

Many forms of stress (be it physical or emotional) require light movement to help relieve it. Loosening the muscles and creating lubrication in the joints sends lots of great messages to the brain. Your brain chemistry adapts to movement, sending out “happy” chemicals which helps us combat the blues and create a sense of calm. This is good for the immune system too — the less stressed you feel the better it will work. And if you are having problems sleeping then spend some time stretching before bed.
Ageing:

Have you ever seen someone 10 years older than you struggling to get out of their chair and pulling a grimace face as they move? A big part of why we get so stiff and things begin to hurt as we age is from a lack of stretching and old injuries. And a huge portion of injuries come from people not stretching before and after exercise, or regularly through the week. The body always heals as best it can, but often scar tissue makes muscle tighter and less flexible. The body will turn off anything we do not use, and so when we stop stretching and moving the body forgets how to do it — this is another factor in major accidents as we age. Everything you do or don’t do now counts; there will be a whole laundry list of things from years gone by that will come back to haunt us. So stretch now to avoid the issues later!
Adaptation:

The body is very, very efficient. Anything you do repetitively will be adapted too. That doesn’t mean you’ll like its method! When we sit and type at a laptop all day our pelvis will literally rotate to create a sitting posture and our shoulders will round forward to support our arms as they type. But when we stand up and move that new posture becomes problematic, leading to headache, back pains, fatigue and increased stress to name a few. Same can be said for any of its adaptations. To keep your body prepared for anything, you have to give it a bit of everything. Keeping the muscles stretched and moving is key to making sure the brain doesn’t tell the body to adapt to any one thing. So make it adapt to you!
Mind-Body Connection:

Stretching is also a fab way of creating a connection between the mind and body. It is where you will learn which muscles feel tight or loose and where you will discover your “normal”. This becomes the foundation on which you build your health. You will be able to feel when something isn’t quite right, and can get on top of it before it gets on top of you. Knowledge is power, so learn about your body!
Stretch for at least 5–10 minutes before exercise and 5–10 minutes at the end of your workout. Depending on what exercise you perform, you may need to do dynamic, isolated or static stretches but regardless of the type — make the time and enjoy seeing what your body can do.
