Five reasons why you need to begin stretching today

If there’s one thing that you can count on a physical therapist introducing into every session, it’s stretching. Yes, building strength and endurance is important. But whether you’re an athlete, or someone coping with the aches and pains of aging, increasing your flexibility through stretching is crucial. Still not convinced? Keep reading to learn five reasons why you need to start stretching today.

• It improves range of motion in your joints

One reason why you need to start stretching is it can improve joint range of motion. How far your joints can move in all directions influences virtually every moment of the day. Arthritis or injury can hamper how far, and where, you can flex and extend your limbs and torso. 

Twisting your neck to see behind you when driving. Being able to move your knee freely. Good joint range of motion is crucial for these and many other common daily activities. Even if you’re fairly stiff now, doing more stretches each day can gradually reduce stiffness and increase flexibility.

• You’ll learn more about your body

When your calves start feeling a bit tight after a run, it’s obvious that more stretching is needed. But we sometimes forget the sheer interconnectedness of our bodies, which is a second reason why you need to start stretching more. 

If you’re experiencing lower back pain, for example, stretching your legs during physical therapy can be as important as stretching your back. In fact, your hips, upper thighs and hamstrings can all play a big part in creating lower back pain relief. Likewise, improving your posture through stretching your torso can provide the kind of support you need to keep your spine from compressing, which helps you avoid shoulder and neck pain.

• It builds athletic performance

Building athletic performance is yet another reason why you need to start stretching. If you’re an athlete, you know that the more conditioning your joints, ligaments and muscles get, the greater your advantage in your sport. 

Bodybuilders can recover from their reps more quickly by stretching tightened muscles as a cool-down. Golfers can get a longer reach by increasing range of motion through the hips and shoulders. Swimmers can keep their strokes even by stretching out their arms and shoulders. There are few competitive sports for which stretching doesn’t offer an advantage.

• It helps prevent sports injuries

There’s a certain amount of debate in the sports world about the degree to which pre- or post-workout stretching protects you from injury. But few people deny those stretches can contribute to injury prevention. 

A tense, shortened muscle is often an injury waiting to happen. This is because it doesn’t work at peak performance. When you stretch, you’re reducing the tension in your muscles. In turn, this decrease in tension can prevent you from making the types of moves that lead to injury. 

• It improves your circulation

Stretching can reduce stress, but that isn’t the only reason it’s good for your heart and your musculoskeletal system. Tight muscles have a lower available oxygen supply, essentially robbing themselves of the nutrients they need. Stretches can help increase oxygen availability in the muscles. They can also provide the benefit of increased blood flow to your joints and throughout the body. 

Need to start stretching more? Advent Physical Therapy can show you how

Not sure where to start after reading all these reasons why you need to start stretching? When you’re ready to add stretches to your daily routine, consider getting started through physical therapy. Our team at Advent Physical Therapy can walk you through the best ways to tackle your situation. Static or dynamic stretching? Pre- or post-activity stretching? Our physical therapists can help you learn the basics. 

Not able to leave home right now? No problem! We offer virtual care and at-home therapy sessions that can help you get the effective therapy you need. Additionally, you don’t need a doctor’s referral before you begin using our services. 

Take the next step to start increasing your flexibility. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help or to schedule an initial appointment.