Do you take time to stretch in the morning? If not, you may want to consider it. Stretching in the morning, and throughout the day, has major health benefits. We all know stretching before physical activity is important, but stretching as you start your day is equally as important. Here’s why.
Stretching can improve your posture.
Tight and tired muscles can cause poor posture. When the muscles in our chest, back, and hips are sluggish, our posture is likely to be as well. We spend several hours a day with our shoulders rounded and slouched sitting at a computer or looking at a phone or tablet. These activities are already impacting our posture negatively. Taking a few minutes in the morning and throughout our day to be cognizant of our posture and stretch out the pectoralis, upper trapezius, and hamstring muscles can help greatly!
Stretching can decrease back pain
Back pain is most often related to posture. Poor posture in the upper back can cause the muscles in your lower back to compensate causing pain. Tight hamstrings or hip flexors also can cause the lower back to compensate causing pain. Stretching the muscles mentioned above can relieve that pain.
Stretching can prevent injury
Stretching before activity helps prevent injury by bringing blood flow to the muscles, warming them up, and decreasing any tightness to prevent a strain or a tear. By stretching in the morning, we allow our muscles the same process as we get moving for the day.
Stretching can improve flexibility and range of motion
As we get older, our joints lose range of motion. By stretching regularly and keeping our muscles from getting tight, we can counteract this. Stretching allows us to both improve our range of motion and prevent loss of range of motion.
As you can see, adding stretching to your morning ritual can pay off in a big way. If you have any questions about stretches you can do to improve your quality of life, the team at US Rehab can help!
Tags: back pain, neck pain, wellness, stretching, aging, mindful, injury prevention, joints