Stretching for Optimum health

You can stretch your way to health and flexibility, work towards your fitness certification online and not even have to leave the house that day! 

Don’t you love that feeling of a good stretch in the morning after a good night’s sleep or intense workout?  Even our feline friends can relate to the positive benefits of stretching!  Stretching is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, helping to increase flexibility, improve posture and maintain balance. 

An essential part of anyone’s exercise and sports routine should include a warm-up stretch and a cool-down stretch routine at the end.  This allows the muscles to expel toxins and to remain supple in order to keep the flow of blood around the body.  You’re probably familiar with the feeling when you haven’t stretched properly before a workout – the next day you wake up with sore muscles and unable to move properly. 

Stretching helps with balance and posture and gives the body an opportunity to realign itself, allowing the muscles to elongate and relax.  With a regular stretching routine, flexibility and range of motion are enhanced.  Improvements in flexibility and co-ordination will help to prevent injury during a workout or sporting activity.  

With a regular stretching routine, people notice a positive effect on their mental and emotional health as they become more relaxed.  When we feel stressed there is a tendency to hold the tension in the muscles, so stretching is a good way to reduce that tension and will help to change our physiological response to stress in the future. 

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