Keeping your muscles, tendons, and ligaments flexible through regular stretching is important, but an often-ignored piece of the overall health puzzle. The process of stretching is often considered to be tedious and time-consuming by many people, but it helps prevent scores of different injuries and has an anti-aging effect on the body. Office workers often struggle with acute or chronic back pain due to long hours of sitting down. This imposes risks on the person’s neck, shoulders, back and hips. Not to mention, prolonged sitting increases the chances of obesity.
Studies show that there are many benefits of stretching, including reducing neck and shoulder pain. Plus, regular breaks to stand and stretch increase productivity. Flexibility breaks allow your eyes to rest and your entire body to feel more comfortable.
Why should you stretch every day for at least five minutes?
Perhaps the most important reason to incorporate regular stretching into your life is that it lengthens your muscles and increases flexibility. Many muscle tears and strains could be avoided if those muscles weren’t so short and tight. Additionally, stretching the larger muscles of your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves helps to lengthen your lower back muscles, increasing the benefit even more.
1.Reduces Fatigue. Stretching at work can reduce fatigue by increasing blood supply and nutrients to your muscles.Â
2. Can Prevent Muscle Strain Injuries. Stretching is waking up your muscles to let them know that they will be performing a job. Stretching warms up the muscles by working them gently – just like an athlete. Athletes always stretch out before practices and games to warm up their muscles. Why do they do that? So they perform better.
3. Improves Posture. Stretching can improve posture by allowing muscle tissues to realign, thus reducing effort to achieve and maintain good posture. Often these muscles have adapted poorly to effects of gravity and poor postural habits.
4. Increases Muscle Coordination and Balance. Stretching also helps opposing muscle groups work in a more coordinated fashion.
Dr Angella Perotti can give you incredible suggestions and tips on how to better your health! To increase your mobility, functionality, and flexibility contact us.
Click here to schedule your first appointment or call us at 678-395-4712.