Stretching muscles not only feels great in the short term, but it essentially prevents them from getting tight, weak and unable to support joint movement correctly in the long term.

The vast majority of patients experiencing pain and lack of movement have this in common – tight, inflexible, weak muscles.  This will inevitably lead to injury.

As a society, we live in a very automated environment.  We rarely engage our muscles in physical activities that allow them to be challenged enough to grow and strengthen.  If one does take the time to exercise, how often is the time taken to warm up before and cool down afterwards?

Understandably it can feel as if it’s a very unproductive waste of time, but if one were told that stretching appropriately could help keep chronic lower back pain and headaches at bay whilst boosting mental health and mood, can the overwhelming benefits of stretching be regarded from a different perspective?

Benefits to stretching your muscles:

• Increased flexibility
• Better movement in your joints
• You are less prone to injury
• Better balance (especially as we get older)
• Studies show that you experience less joint and muscle pain
• Sustains better posture
• Blood flow to the muscles (which means muscles repair themselves quicker)
• Better physical abilities in your daily activities and exercise
• Helps lessen stress and calms the brain

Some key rules when stretching:

• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or more
• Do not bounce your muscle when holding a stretch
• Do not go beyond what feels like an effective but still comfortable stretch
• Do not stretch the same muscle more than once a day (unless advised by a medical professional)

Chat to a Chiropractor before starting a stretch routine, especially if you have an acute or nagging chronic injury.  It is always a good idea to rule out any underlying causes for your initial pain or discomfort so that you don’t cause any additional damage.  Once you are cleared, the right stretching programme will make a world of difference to your posture, your spinal health and overall well-being.

Please feel free to contact us by social media or email, if we can assist you with any queries.

Happy stretching,
Dr Monica