Add Stretching To Gain Balance To A Healthy Lifestyle

You already know that eating a balanced diet and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise is essential in a healthy lifestyle, but did you know that stretching is also important? You don’t have to be an athlete to reap the benefits of stretching. In fact, a good stretch on a daily basis can help protect your mobility and independence as it keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy.

Many people nowadays work in an office setting and probably sit for more than 8 hours a day. Sitting in a chair all day leads to tight hamstrings, making it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee. When you call on these tight muscles suddenly during strenuous activities it can lead to injuries. Regular stretching can keep your muscles long, lean, and flexible. That way when you do put exertion on them, you are less likely to hurt yourself.

With that said, it can be daunting to work in a daily stretch activity. After all, your body is full of muscles so where do you start? Luckily, you don’t have to stretch every single muscle. Instead, focus on the areas that are critical for mobility such as your calves, hamstrings, hips, shoulders, neck, and lower back.

The Morning

Finding the motivation to get out of bed, especially when it’s cold outside, can be difficult. Even when you do get up, it can take some time for your mind and body to be fully alert. Stretching right after you wake up can get your blood flowing throughout your body and even increase your blood flow. This can help improve your energy levels throughout the day and take away any stiffness when you wake up.

More importantly, a good stretch when you wake up can improve your posture, which can help prevent back pain and other injuries. Even though your body is supposed to be relaxed when you sleep, often your body can contort into awkward poses and positions. Stretching can relieve any pain or stiffness you have upon waking by reducing the tension on your spine and other body parts.

Luckily, you can start stretching from the second you wake up without even leaving your bed. When you first get up, reach your arms over your head and stretch as far as possible. Make sure to breathe deeply and hold for 10-15 seconds. On your second stretch, arch your back slightly and flex your feet to prepare your legs for the day. Repeat as often as you like, but try for at least three times.

Hug Stretch

Once you’ve woken up your body with the simple stretch above, it’s time to loosen out the rest of the kinks in your back and hips. Lie flat on your back and then bring your knees towards your chest. Wrap your arms around your shin and then rock from side to side a few times. 

After that, bring your knees to your right and stretch your arms into a T. Then, repeat on the left side. Do this a couple of times to really reap the benefits. The best part is that you still don’t need to leave your bed to do this stretch!

Dry Stretch

If you take a shower in the mornings, this is the perfect opportunity to get in some stretching. After you’re done toweling off, grasp the towel in your right hand and throw the towel over your right shoulder down to your lower back. With your left hand, grab the other end of the towel. Pull up and down for about 10-15 seconds and then repeat with the opposite hand.

Not only do you get a good stretch, you also get to dry your back so you’re not wasting any of your precious time before your commute. This stretch is great because it helps stretch out your shoulders and prevents frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injuries. For all of these exercises, if you feel a sharp pain, ease off a bit. You should feel some tension, but not actual pain when stretching.

Daily Commute Stretch

Commutes suck, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the time to be a bit more productive. Regardless of whether your commute takes 20 minutes or an hour, you can get in a couple good stretches whether you’re driving or taking a bus or train. It might feel a bit weird at first, especially if you’re taking public transportation, but as you get used to doing it, you’ll stop caring what others think.

One good stretch that won’t attract too much attention are shoulder shrugs. As the name suggests, you want to bring your shoulders up to your ears until you feel slight tension in your neck and shoulders. Hold this tension for 3-5 seconds then relax back into the normal position. Do this 2-3 times to help release tension from your shoulders and neck.

Afternoon

Whether you work in an office or are on your feet all day, a good stretch can revitalize you when you start getting drowsy at work. Of course, it’s also a nice way to take a break from looking at your screen and change your positions. The benefits of stretching at work include:

• Reduced fatigue

• Decreased chance of experiencing muscle strain injuries

• Improved posture

• Increased muscle coordination and balance

As you’ve probably heard, sitting for more than 8 hours a day has serious health consequences. When you sit, you’re using less energy than when you stand or move. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to obesity, high blood sugar, increased blood pressure, and more. That’s why it’s so important to get up and move. In general, you should aim to take a break from sitting every 30 minutes. Even if you’re not jogging or lifting weights, just standing up and stretching can help improve your overall lifestyle. You burn more calories, which can lead to weight loss and increased energy.

When doing your stretches, do them before lunch or at least an hour or two after. Or, if you don’t have that kind of luxury, try to avoid eating large meals for lunch. Eating a lot of food too close to a workout, even stretching, can cause you to experience discomfort. Of course, the stretches we’re going to mention won’t require too much contortion, but it’s still a good rule of thumb to follow.

Side Stretch and Twist

You probably already do some version of this, but most likely when you’re sitting down. You know when your back starts hurting and shoulders feel stiff you end up raising your hands above your head and even leaning off to the side and twisting your torso? Well, the side stretch and twist is basically the same motion, but you need to stand up for this.

Use your chair as a prop and stabilize yourself with one hand. Raise your other hand about your head and then let your body create a big arc as you go into a side stretch. Hold this for about 15 seconds then repeat on the other side. After that, keep your hips facing forward and rotate your torso to the left and hold for 15 seconds. Do the same to the left. If you feel weird standing up and doing this, you can do it in your seat, but you won’t get the full benefits. Don’t want to do this at your desk? Then find an empty meeting room or in a less busy area in the office.

Copy Machine Stretch

There will come a point where you’re waiting for print outs or copies of some documents. Instead of just standing around or heading back to your desk, use that time to work on your joint mobility. Even if you’re not doing hard labor, you can still experience musculoskeletal disorders due to overuse. Some of the most common disorders for office workers include carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Both of these are caused by repetitive motions and, in the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, poor typing posture.

One of the best ways to combat this is to stretch out your joints. Start by moving each joint in circles, which will help improve blood flow, circulation, and flexibility. Important joints to stretch include your wrists, ankles,  shoulders, and neck. Repeat this around five to ten times a day for maximum benefits. You don’t even have to wait until you’re at the copy machine to do these stretches. You can easily do them while you’re at your desk, during your commute, etc.

Evening

The evening is when you should be winding down for the night and relaxing your body. You might have heard that exercising right before bed can have negative impacts on your sleep schedule, but that’s not the case with stretching. Sure, more active and aggressive stretching that you might perform during yoga might be off the table, but gentle stretches can actually be good for you. They can help alleviate any lingering tension from the work day and get your body relaxed and ready for bed.

Similar to the afternoon stretches, you want to avoid stretching right after eating dinner. Instead, wait at least one hour before you do these stretches. You’ll want to focus on stretching out your legs and your back to prevent stiffness and back pain, especially if you’ve been sitting down all day.

A great stretch to do when you get home is a hamstring stretch. Lie down on your back and put your belt or stretching strap under one foot. Keep the other leg extended on the bed and then slowly bring up your leg towards your face. You should feel some tension in your hamstring. When you do feel it, hold for 30 seconds and then switch to the other left. This stretch is great for your hamstrings and glutes.

Watching TV Stretch

Sometimes all you want to do when you get home is to change into your pajamas and watch some TV, and that’s okay. However, you can also use this time to get in a super simple and easy stretch. All you need is your bed and a wall.

While watching TV, lie down on your back with your glutes up against a wall. Straighten your legs so they point to the ceiling and hold this for around 3 minutes. This stretch feels great and also has the added benefit of relieving your tight leg muscles and improving your blood flow. If you feel tingling, bend or even hug your knees to your chest.

Before Bed Stretch

Not only can stretching help energize you in the morning, it can also help improve your sleep quality, which can lead to a better quality of life. As mentioned, stretching can help relieve muscle tension and prevent sleep-disrupting cramps. The act of stretching itself can also be meditative and help quiet your mind before bed. Just make sure you stick with gentle stretches as a big workout before sleep can actually prevent you from getting some shut eye.

If you’re looking for a few stretches you should try the following:

• Bear Hug - Stand tall and inhale as you open your arms wide. As you exhale, cross your arms across your torso with your right arm over your left and then give yourself a hug. Breath deeply and hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Exhale and repeat with your left arm on top.

• Neck stretches - Sit up straight in a comfortable chair and then take your right  hand to the top of your head or left ear. Gently bring your right ear towards your should and hold this position for about 5 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.

• Come into a kneeling position in front of a chair or couch. Make sure your knees are directly below your hips. Lengthen your spin as you fold forward and rest your forearms on the surface. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat one to three times.

• Child’s pose - get into kneeling position and then sit back on your heels. Fold forward and rest your forehead on the floor and then extend your arms in front of you to support your neck. You can also use a pillow under your thighs for extra support. Breathe deeply and hold the position for up to five minutes.

• Warrior 1 pose - step into a wide, low lunge and make sure your front knee is in line with your heel. Your back leg should extend straight behind you. Once you find your balance, lift your arms up above your head and open up your chest to the ceiling and hold this stretch for about 30 seconds.

Feel Great With Daily Stretching To Improve Your Overall Health

You probably stretch more throughout the day than you actually realize. Involuntary stretching of the muscles is called pandiculation and is a behavior most animals perform to relieve muscle tension. Even though your body will naturally stretch to relieve tension, it’s still a good idea to be proactive and incorporate more stretches into your daily stretching routine.

Not only does stretching feel good, it also provides plenty of benefits. A good stretch can help improve circulation, which allows your muscles to receive more oxygen. It also activates your parasympathetic system, which is responsible for your rest and digestive functions and can also help you feel calm and relaxed. Both of these benefits lead to further health benefits such as improved circulation, stress relief, and, of course, increased flexibility.

While stretching can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle, if you experience sharp pains or have pre-existing conditions, you should speak to your doctor beforehand. They will be able to refer you to a physical therapist who can provide you with targeted stretches and exercises to suit your needs. Just like exercise, you should make sure to do your stretches every day for best results.

Rebekah Pierce is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Rebekah is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sleep education, natural, sleep products, electronics, fashion and many more. She is passionate about her work and family.

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