stretch that body

Stretching everyday is already second nature.

Upon waking in the morning, you’ll usually start off with an involuntary yaaaawwwwn. Maybe an exhalation, a deep one that stretches the chest. You may even splay your arms out to either side of your bed, taking a good long stretch! Stretching is something that every human and animal does — several times a day in fact. We tend to stretch and flex our bodies all throughout our waking hours without consciously thinking about it first; our bodies don’t wait for our minds to catch up. Our body acts separately, bending us over backwards before our mind can relate.

When we stretch our bodies after, say, studying for exams for hours on end (and yes, yawning is a stretch), we release tensions that have built up within our muscles. Specifically, we stretch out a long protein called titin, which essentially works as the system of springs that exist within your muscle fibers (sarcomeres). These help to keep your muscle fibers elastic, among other things.

While tension release alone is grand, there are so many additional benefits to the movement of stretching, like increasing your range of motion, increasing your coordination (which is especially beneficial if you’re juggling your books and a piping hot coffee), and increasing your circulation.

Now with increased circulation, you also will notice a great increase in energy, similar to that of a post-run buzz (a.k.a runner’s high). This is because strenuous physical activity, including stretching, causes endorphins to circulate from your brain throughout your body, which are the neurotransmitters responsible for making us feel good, spreading feelings of pleasure and blocking our sensations of pain! This can give you the mental and physical edge to take on that five kilometre run, or just face the day.

have you taken a reading break yet? stretch!

So as you can see, there are a lot of benefits to stretching. However, I will caution you to avoid overdoing it. Some people are more flexible than others, so please don’t try to become a stretch god in a single day. You can seriously hurt yourself… so don’t do that! Try to be mindful that you are contorting a body that usually weighs more than 100 pounds. That is enough weight to hurt you if you’re doing something incorrectly or outside your current capabilities. Like anything else, you get better with practice; baby steps!

Stretching is generally broken down into four segments: dynamic, static, ballistic and neuromuscular (modernly called proprioceptive neuromuscular). In regards to their basics, dynamic stretching is stretching in walking movements, so a very fluid-based stretch. Static is quite the opposite in that it is slow, controlled, pulled to tension point and generally held for upwards of thirty seconds. Ballistic is as it sounds! Fast, bouncy and rapid motions of stretching, while, lastly, neuromuscular stretches involve highly specific movements, usually addressed in chiropractic care or physiotherapy.

Whichever style you pursue, even a mere 15 minutes in the morning can add hours of energy and vitality to your day! Happy stretching!