Stretching is probably the most underrated exercise out there. Outside of the yoga world, no one ever really talks it about other than “let’s do a warm up stretch” or “time to cool down with a stretch”. Yet stretching is so crucial to our health; not just physical but mental too! Here are all the benefits and reasons you should work on your flexibility more often.
1. You’ll be better in bed. How? You’ll be to get into more elaborate positions and hold them. This could spice up your sex life and who doesn’t want that?
2. You won’t hurt yourself if you find yourself in a tough spot. An earring falls under the dresser, you can reach further. Cleaning those tough to reach spots, you can bend in more ways to get in there. You are playing with little kids and can actually get into their mini house!
3. When you’re old, you won’t be in as much pain. By taking care of yourself more now, your body will stay young and limber. Don’t take youth for granted; use it to get yourself ahead!
4. You’ll be less prone to injury. When you keep up with your muscles’ agility and strength, you will have a better time healing. And in general, it will be hard for your to get hurt since your body has trained itself well.
5. It reduces soreness and stiffness. After a hard workout, the cool down stretch is so crucial. You have just worked hard and to stop immediately would make everything tighten up. Relax for a minute with some simple stretching.
6. You can find your happy place within a few minutes. Stretching isn’t just good for your body; it helps with your relaxations and stress levels too. It’s an easy way to focus on yourself for a short amount of time and get yourself into a zen state.
It may be an annoyance at first, especially if you aren’t flexible, to devote time to reach for your toes. In the long run, it pays off though! You’ll feel the burn but it will get easier as the days go by. Just make sure you don’t pull anything or tear something or try too hard too early in the game. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.