Stretching is one of the most under-appreciated areas of fitness. The majority of people either don’t stretch at all, or don’t stretch enough. Despite this, stretching remains beneficial and can be done almost anywhere at anytime!
The Benefits of Stretching?
Stretching has been shown to:
- Reduce pain
- Improve flexibility
- Reduce the signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal injuries
- Help with relaxation
Conclusion:
As more and more research is done on dangers of Sedentary Lifestyle (Sitting Disease), it is extremely important that people realize that they need to stay active and moving throughout the day. Even while at work it is important to get up and move around. Stretching is one option to help get you moving throughout the day. Here‘s a short list of exercises you can do while at your desk.
Bonus: A meta-analysis of 104 studies found that static stretching (holding stretches) before exercise reduces muscle strength by 5.4%, muscle power by 1.9% and explosive performance by 2.0%. Another study, however, found that dynamic stretching (moving your muscle through the entire range of motion) increased performance. So, replace static stretching with dynamic stretching before exercise.