Stretching Is Good for You

As we age, our muscles become tighter and our joints become stiffer. In order to slow that part of the natural aging process, it is a good idea to incorporate a stretching routine into our daily activities.

You know the old saying - "use it or lose it". This is oh so very true too.

10 minutes per day of stretching exercise is enough for most people in any age group.

Athletes use stretches as a warm-up, to get their body ready for a big game or event, so they probably spend more than our typical 10 minutes a day.

People in physical rehab might spend more time stretching as well, as they get their body back into condition after an accident or illness has had them down for a good while.

The idea is to both straighten and stretch the full body and all of the limbs. This also includes bending both the body and limbs too, as in doing sit-ups and touching your toes.

Normal daily activities such as house cleaning and gardening give you the stretches you need, but how many of us do these things on a daily basis?

Stretching can:

1. give you more energy
2. allow you a more active lifestyle
3. help prevent injuries since your reflexes will be sharper and quicker
4. increase your range of motion and movement
5. reduce contraction of muscles and reduce muscle tension