Benefits of Stretching
Here at Collective Motion we have a strong passion for movement.
Whether it’s helping our clients restore their mobility through hands-on treatment or improving flexibility with Pilates, we strive to encourage our clients to live an active life.
Stretching places a focus on recovery and adds that much needed restorative part of any exercise program. However we don’t always need to be over exerting ourselves.
Dedicated time spent stretching at the end of a workout provides just as many benefits as an extra 10 minutes on the bike or an extra set of squats.
Lets stop pushing stretching to the bottom of our priority list and start incorporating it into our every day.
Our favourite reasons to stretch are
Decreases stiffness and improves flexibility
Stretching can help improve your flexibility to help you to perform your daily activities and help delay decreased mobility that can come with aging.
Improves your performance in physical activity and sport
Dynamic stretching (moving through a range of motion that stretches your muscles) specifically can help prepare your muscles for physical activity. Having increased mobility as a result of stretching can also help improve your performance as your body is able to move with less restriction.
Decreases risk of injury
Stretching allows your body to move properly which reduces the overall chance of being injured, as less stress is placed on our joints and muscles during physical activity.
Improves your posture
Stretching of different muscle groups can reduce pain and encourage better posture.
Improves recovery
Stretching as part of a recovery can help to reduce muscle soreness. It can help improve your circulation which encourages more blood flow to your muscles, which can aid in shortening recovery time post exercise.
Calms your mind and can help with stress relief
While you stretch, focusing on mindfulness can give your mind a mental break. Muscles can tighten up in response to physical and emotional stress. Stretching areas of your body where you tend to hold your stress can help alleviate this.
Decreases muscle tension
Stretching activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which can help relieve tension being held in your body. Also, by stretching specific areas like your neck and upper back it can help reduce headaches caused by tension.
Always remember to avoid stretching beyond the point of comfort. It’s normal to feel some tension or slight pulling when stretching a muscle, however you should never feel pain. If the area you are stretching starts to hurt, back off the stretch until you don’t feel any more discomfort.
We hope this has inspired you to start stretching!
If you’re after some more advice or are in need of some hands on help, we’d love to see you at Collective Motion! Collective Motion offers Osteopathy and Pilates and is conveniently located to service our Bentleigh community as well as its surrounding suburbs including Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Ormond, Glenhuntly, Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Oakleigh, Gardenvale, Brighton East and Hampton East. Click below to book an appointment and let us help you get moving again.