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Are you skipping stretching because you don’t see the benefits, or you just don’t have time? You may be missing out on some huge benefits, and it only takes 10-15 minutes a day.
The benefits of stretching
- Lower your stress
Stretching can help reduce anxiety by helping you control blood pressure. Feeling stressed causes tension in your muscles while stretching loosens those muscles and calms your mind. - Tone your muscles
When you stretch your entire body, you activate muscles you rarely use. Building new muscles can help you achieve maximum muscle tone. - Increase flexibility and range of motion
Improving flexibility can help you improve your mobility. This is important as we age and is vital to performing daily activities comfortably. - Prevent injury
Improving your range of motion can help you reduce the risk of getting injured. When you stretch, it helps circulate the fluids in your body lubricating your joints and protecting them from wearing out over time. - Improve physical performance
When you stretch before a workout, you increase blood flow preparing your muscles for exercise, allowing you to give your best performance. - Prevent knots and reduce soreness
When you stretch after a workout, you increase blood flow, helping your muscles get rid of the accumulated waste. - Reduce cholesterol
Stretching increase blood circulation which can help keep the walls of your arteries free of cholesterol buildup. Physical activity keeps the LDL cholesterol (bad) low and raises the HDL (good) cholesterol. - Improve body awareness
While stretching, you focus on the body and get in touch with those muscles or muscle groups. - Sleep better
Stretching can help reduce pain and discomfort, lower your stress, and get in touch with your body which in turn can help you get to sleep and improve your sleep quality. - Improve posture
Muscle tightness can cause poor posture. Stretching your muscles promotes proper alignment and prevents tightness helping you to improve your posture.
It’s obvious why stretching is so important after seeing all these health benefits so take 10 minutes to take care of yourself!
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