Stretching simply means extending the body or part of the body to its full capacity. It involves straightening or flexing the body or the limbs. The body is actually a flexible structure and has to be to function properly, at least on a physical level. You should not have too much difficulty to be able to bend to pick up something, or reach for something. These are simple everyday activities, yet most of us find them to be, shall we say, a ‘stretch’.

Muscle and joint movement become more restricted as we age. Muscles tighten and our range of movement becomes smaller. As a result bending or stretching becomes more difficult, and affects a more active lifestyle. Even when not so old, these simple activities can be difficult because we don’t move enough. That is why exercise or stretching must be part of a regular or daily routine.

Stretching can be an exercise program on its own, where it can be included in your everyday activities like walking. However, it is more commonly used as a warm up to more strenuous physical activity. Notice that there’s not one professional sports person or team that does not stretch before a big game or match. This is to warm the body up and prepare it for the more rigorous activity to come. The body is more prone to injury when cold. Stretching prevents this from happening.

As far as time goes, there really is no excuse. As a warm up the maximum time to stretch is about 10 minutes. As the main exercise, about 20 to 30 minutes. Also you need nothing, no equipment, just your body.

So, lets recap on the benefits of stretching :

1.Improves the range of movement. Stretching lengthens the muscles and tendons, increasing your range of movement. You’ll be able to jump higher, or stretch further, with less pain.

2.Improves ability to perform skills. More flexibility allows you to enjoy a more active lifestyle. If in sport, it give you more of an edge because it allows you to move faster, and in professional sport every second counts. It makes your reflexes that much sharper.

3.Prevents Injury. As I said, cold muscles are prone to injury, hence a 10 minute warm up is essential before any physical activity. It also lessens the stiffness, or soreness one feels after exercise.

4.Increases energy. Knowing you have a body capable of moving, twisting and turning with more ease and less pain will drive you to move rather than sit and do nothing. Psychologically, it will increase your awareness and confidence.

5.Lowers cholesterol. Tests have proven that doing stretching for any length of time, such as yoga for example, can lower cholesterol levels, but only in conjunction with a varied diet.

You should include stretching in your everyday lifestyle. You don’t need equipment, or a gym, and it uses minimal time. The benefits you will derive from stretching cannot be underestimated, and is crucial to your health today and to your fitness in the future.