Stretching The Kinks Out

Why do we stretch? Because it feels great!

But stretching doesn’t just feel good. It’s healthy, too! Stretching helps keep your muscles in peak condition. Proper stretching—gently extending your muscles toward full-length—has these positive health benefits:

• Improved circulation. Through increased blood flow, stretching brings nutrients to your muscles and flushes out toxins.

• Increased flexibility. Stretching loosens your tendons and ligaments, which frees your joints to move easier and with less discomfort.

• Injury prevention. Healthier, toned muscles help your body perform properly during activity, reducing the risk of harm.

• Better sleep. Stretching eases stress and releases muscle tension in the tightest areas of your body—your neck, shoulders, back and hips—which helps you sleep better.

With summer activities in full swing, stretching both before and after exercise is key to maintaining your health and avoiding injury. Before activity, gentle stretching helps warm up your muscles. After exercise, stretching helps cool and lengthen your muscles.

Stretching can be part of your workout or it can be a workout all on its own—think yoga and Pilates. Or you can embrace a more passive form of stretching: massage therapy. Both stretching and massage release tight spots by lengthening your muscles.

When muscle fibers tighten, the proper exchange of fluids and nutrients are blocked. Stretching, like massage therapy, helps keep your muscles and joints supple by releasing tense muscles and stimulating blood supply. This helps your muscles stay healthy and flexible, protecting you from injury and speeding tissue repair.

“You get into trouble when the muscles get tight and other muscles ’take up’ for that area and work as they were not designed to do,' golf legend Lee Trevino recently told 'Massage Therapy Journal.' Massage therapy, which Trevino has made a consistent part of his life for more than a decade, has 'improved my performance and increased my longevity as a professional athlete,' he says. Because stretching and massage are a workout for your body, pay attention to your limits. Resist the temptation to overstretch. Stretch only as far as comfortably possible—not to the point of pain. If you’re receiving a massage, let your therapist know how much pressure is comfortable as the tight spots in your muscles are released.

If it’s been awhile since your muscles have been stretched, you could feel slightly fatigued or sore the next day. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it’s normal. And the more you stretch, the less likely you’ll feel any discomfort afterward. (If you have health problems or back injuries, check with your doctor before making any changes in your stretching and exercise program.)

Stretching and massage stimulate your body’s cleansing systems to eliminate toxins (like lactic acid) that are stored in your muscles. How do you take out the trash your body collected? Drink water! If you don’t flush out the waste products that are released by stretching the tissues, you could feel achy later. So drink up—and stretch away your aches and pains!