Flexibility and mobility are considered to be necessary. In our daily lives, we do many things, ranging from reaching out for a can on the top shelf of a grocery store to quickly turning around to catch a ball being thrown towards us. The range of motion is compromised if your muscles and joints are sore, and the risk of injuries also increases when motion is compromised. 

Stretching offers a simple way to enhance flexibility and mobility in your body. You might think of hurting as something that athletes or gymnasts only perform. But this is not true; in fact, we all need to stretch to protect our body’s mobility and independence. 

Importance of Stretching

Stretching helps in keeping your muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Without flexibility, our muscles become inflexible, tight, and short, and when you use them for any activity, they become weak and cannot extend. This puts your body at a higher risk of muscle damage, joint pain and strains. 

With a body full of muscles, the idea of stretching on a daily basis may seem to be overwhelming. According to David Nolan, a Physical Therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, you do not have to stretch every muscle in the body. According to him, the areas critical to mobility are lower parts of the body, such as calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors in the pelvis. 

Benefits of Stretching

Stretching yields substantial benefits for the body, which can subsequently help in improving your muscles and joint movements. Let’s have a look at these advantages:

Fewer Injuries

With the practice of stretching on an everyday basis, you eventually develop strength and flexibility in your body. Once you have done that, you will be able to withstand more physical stress. All the body muscle imbalances will be eliminated, consequently, reducing the chance of getting an injury from physical exercises. To correct the muscles’ balance, it is required that you stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the underactive muscles. 

Less Pain

Once you have worked on opening and lengthening muscles, your body will feel better overall. When muscles have become loose and less tensed, you will less likely feel any pain. Moreover, regardless of the type of exercise, you will experience fewer muscle cramps. 

Enhanced Posture and balance

Improvement in posture and balance is one of the significant benefits of stretching. When an individual focuses on enhancing the flexibility of their muscles, their posture is most likely to enhance. Working out consistently allows the body to improve any imbalances in the muscles and align properly. Moreover, it will become easier for you to sit in any way and anywhere with an increased range of motion. For example, Yoga and Cardio has proved to show improvement in body balance. 

Increased Blood Flow to Muscles

Stretching on a regular basis helps you enhance blood circulation. Increased blood circulation enhances blood flow to muscles, decreasing the recovery time and soreness in muscles. 

Mental Relaxation

For a lot of people, stretching is something that makes them feel good. And things that make people happy helps in reducing chronic stress and bring us closer to a state of calmness. Stretching combined with deep breathing is relaxing for the mind, and every time you take a deep breath, you are letting go of a stressor in life. Therefore, stretching is an intentional way of giving mental health a positive boost. 

Types of Stretching

Since stretching the muscles can help in reducing the risk of injuries by enhancing flexibility and range of motions, it must be incorporated into your daily exercise routine. There are four different types of stretching, and the best thing is that you can do most of the:

Active Stretching

Active stretching is also known as static-active stretching. This technique focuses especially on utilizing the muscles within the targeted group. For example, stretching the ankle back and forth is going to use calf muscles as toes are being raised towards the shin. With active stretching, muscles are performing opposing functions; for example, one muscle is being lengthened, and the other is being contracted. 

Passive Stretching

Passive stretching is also a popular form of stretching that helps in enhancing body balance and flexibility, for example, Yoga. The target muscle is lengthened as a particular force reaches the outer limits of your motion’s range. 

Dynamic Stretching 

Dynamic stretching is classified as lively stretches that rely on momentum to flow through repeated movements. For example, while sitting, you feel tired and stretch your hamstrings to kick through its range of motion. With each pass, a gradual progression in height is accomplished. 

Proprioceptive (PNF) Stretching

PNF stretching refers to a set of techniques that consists of table stretching with the help of a certified trainer. It helps in the restoration of injured or weak muscles. This is because, during this training, resistance is provided while keeping everything in place. As the contraction is released, the position is held for 20 to 30 seconds and another 35 to 30 seconds for the muscle to relax. 

Ballistic Stretching

This kind of stretching is normally used for athletic drills and makes use of repetitive bouncing movements to stretch the muscle group that is being targeted. This type of stretching can be safely performed if done from low-velocity to high velocity and preceded by static stretching. 

Myofascial Release Therapy

Myofascial release is a type of physical therapy that releases tightness and pain. Through the use of a foam or any other similar object, the therapy helps in relieving tension and enhances flexibility in the fascia. Fascia is a network of connective tissues that are densely woven and help keep all the body compartments together. 

This technique consists of continuous back and forth movements and is performed over 2 to 6 inches for almost 30 to 60 seconds. The pain tolerance of the person will tell the pressure applied to the targeted area. 

A Guide to Stretching Routine: Best Exercises for Better Flexibility

Completing a daily stretching routine can prove to be beneficial for your health. It can positively impact a person’s physical and mental well-being. Your daily routine can incorporate both static and dynamic stretches or either one of them, depending on the stamina. 

Initially, it might feel uncomfortable at first, but it is not at all painful. This section is going to cover a full body daily stretch routine, stretching exercises for hip flexibility, athletes, and runners. 

Full Body Daily Stretching Routine

Including an exercise routine in your daily schedule might seem daunting, particularly for those who already have a busy schedule. However, it only requires the individual to set aside 15 to 20 minutes. The majority of the people choose morning time for their exercise. Some of the recommended stretches for the full-body are:

Neck Roll

• Stand straight with your arms loose and feet shoulder-width apart. 

• Lower the chin towards the chest

• Roll your head gently in a clockwise motion for one rotation which will be about 7 to 8 seconds

• Take rest for 5 seconds and repeat the same in an anticlockwise direction.

• Repeat neck roll stretch three times

Standing Hip Rotation

• Place your hands on the hips while standing with the feet shoulder-width apart.

• Move the hip forward slowly and rotate it three times in a clockwise direction.

• Bring your hip back to the center and then repeat the same movement in an anticlockwise direction.

Shoulder Roll

• Stand up straight with your arms lose.

• Slowly raise your shoulders without bending your arms. Roll your raised shoulders back in a circular motion

• Roll the shoulders backward five times and then reverse the movement in a forward direction. 

• Repeat the process twice

Child’s Pose