Most people are in the habit of performing a couple of stretches when they get out of bed each morning. It’s a great way to remove the stiffness in your muscles and joints caused by laying down in bed for a long period.
But did you know that stretching more often can provide many other benefits to your health? In fact, I often instruct patients who come to our London Chiropractic clinic – MotionBack to incorporate more stretching into their day to gain mobility, flexibility, and improvements to posture.
In this post, I will highlight several benefits of stretching and how to add more stretching to your day. If you want to learn more, feel free to pop into our London Chiropractor clinic.
Benefits of Stretching
1. Improvements To Posture
One of the best reasons to stretch more often is that it can dramatically improve your posture. Stretching helps you avoid the muscle imbalances that can contribute to poor posture and strengthens the muscles you need to use to maintain good posture.
2. Improved flexibility
Stretching ensures all of your joints remain well lubricated. This improves your flexibility and makes daily tasks like hopping out of bed, reaching high objects, and picking things up much easier. When combined with chiropractic treatment, you will be surprised by how much your flexibility improves with regular stretching.
3. Increased range of motion
In addition to improving your flexibility, you will discover that stretching improves your range of motion. This will enable you to move more freely, which will help you perform day-to-day tasks more easily and may improve your sporting performance.
4. Lower injury risk
When the muscles and joints are stretched, they attract more blood flow, lubrication, and heat. This allows you to move freely and to be more tolerant of the stresses that occur when playing sports or performing your daily activities.
5. Better circulation
When you stretch, more blood will flow to your muscles. This offers several health improvements including better cardiovascular health and reduced recovery time between exercise sessions.
6. Less back pain
Many of the patients who visit our team of London chiropractors at MotionBack are dealing with back pain. They are surprised to discover that there are several stretches which can alleviate their pain if performed every day. We help these patients by showing them the best stretches to perform and aligning their stretching routine with the chiropractic treatments they receive.
7. Stress relief
Stress is one of the most common sources of muscular tension in the shoulders, neck, and back. The tension caused by stress can affect your mobility, posture, and general health. Stretching helps to unwind some of this tension. Many of the patients visiting our busy London chiropractic clinic find that stretching also helps them reduce their overall stress levels as it is such a relaxing activity.
8. Reduce the likelihood of tension headaches
Another advantage of stretching to relieve muscular tension is that it can reduce the frequency and severity of tension headaches. The boost to circulation provided by stretching can also reduce the impact of headaches.
9. Makes waste removal more efficient
The heightened level of oxygen reaching your muscles after stretching helps them process metabolic waste. This can reduce recovery time between exercise sessions.
10. Stretching is very relaxing
Stretching is a wonderful way to unwind after a long day. By placing your focus on your body, you can quiet your mind and reduce your stress levels.
Incorporating More Stretching Into Your Day
Here are a few ideas for incorporating more stretching into your day:
- Stretch in bed
When you wake up in the morning, spend a few minutes stretching your joints. There are many stretches you can use while laying down, but here are five to get you started. - Stretch before exercise
Spend a few minutes stretching before you exercise each day. This will reduce your risk of injury and help you make stretching a habit. - Stretch during the work day
Set aside time to stretch while at work. You could stretch after eating your lunch or use a timer to remind yourself to stand up from your desk and stretch every 30 minutes. Here are several stretches you can perform while seated.
If you require more assistance, please contact our London Chiropractic Clinic on 0207 112 5408 or via email. You can also book an appointment with one of our experienced London chiropractors online on our website here.