Stretching improves your quality of life?

Why is stretching important? Let me tell you a couple of reasons why! I have been enlightened through my research of the benefits of flexibility and mobility training and how many people tend to neglect this vital part of life. Science shows that a person’s metabolic age can be determined with how well they are able to move about and that the muscular system is directly correlated to the body’s nervous system, which is responsible for all regular body functions, therefore, if a person does not give attention and time to their body’s flexibility, then they will have an increase risk of injury when performing everyday tasks and fatigue, because their muscular system is constricted and not receiving enough oxygen. But wait, there’s more!

During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in depression, lethargy and stress. A natural combatant of these negative side-effects is exercise. Flexibility exercises releases a chemical called endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that are released into the bloodstream when a person is engaging in pleasurable activities such as eating, exercising and fornicating. Endorphins also interact with your brain to help reduce perception of pain. Furthermore, stretching increases overall circulation which raises your natural energy levels and activates your parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is a branch of your nervous system responsible for alleviating the psychological effects of stress which in turn lowers your blood pressure and aids in reaching a relaxed state. Achieving a relaxed state allows for deeper sleep which is when our body focuses energy on recovering from the stresses of the day that are both physical and psychological. Therefore stretching allows for better sleep which allows for more recovery which results in a more youthful-feeling body.

In conclusion, try and do some stretching throughout the day, 2 minutes here, 5 minutes there, 3 minutes anywhere! There’s a plethora of stretches out there, so experiment with them and listen to your body and figure out what stretches it needs in whichever stage of life you’re in! Stretching is for everyone and for every age!

Watch this video I made for some quick full body stretches!