Health experts say that stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and that flexibility helps to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Doctors explain that stretching once today won’t magically give you perfect flexibility, but you need to do it over time and remain committed to the process. Gerald Ruzindana, a wellness expert at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet, Remera, says that stretching is an act of releasing tension from muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons to gain body balance and flexibility. This form of physical exercise improves elasticity and achieves comfortable muscle tone and control. According to Mayo Clinic, stretching may help in improving your joint range of motion, improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. Studies about the benefits of stretching have had mixed results. Some research shows that stretching doesn’t reduce muscle soreness after exercise, and other studies show that lengthening the muscle and holding the stretch immediately before a sprint may slightly worsen performance. However, research has shown that stretching can help improve flexibility, and consequently, the range of motion of your joints. Better flexibility may improve one’s performance in physical activities, decrease your risk of injuries and help your joints move through their full range of motion and enable your muscles to work most effectively. Ruzindana adds that stretching is a type of exercise under aerobic exercises that offers the body an opportunity to flex, release excessive tensions and bad energies out of body, thereby, promoting good health. To him, stretching has vast health benefits, for instance, it keeps the muscles flexible, strong and healthy. For any kind of movement to take place in the human body, stretching empowers muscles to maintain a steady posture and helps in the prevention of muscle damage. He also notes that without stretching, muscles shorten and become tight. Then during an activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way, this puts the body at a risk of joint pains, sprain and strain which might lead to permanent injury. “For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh, which can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way. This inhibits walking in case tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, and they may become damaged,” Ruzindana says. The wellness expert also adds that stretching improves posture, as it is a wonderful sport for posture balance. From the nature of work, the body’s equilibrium is affected and when one stretches, chances are high that the body’s balance will be regained, thereby preventing physical damages. He says that our bodies tend to become tense due to sedentary lifestyles. Failure or inability to expel used-up energy affects joints, and acid levels increase, which affects the body. Ruzindana adds that by stretching, the body releases used up acids and prevents them from building up in joints. Stretching also improves blood flow to the muscles, relieves stiff muscles and creaky joints. “For an effective stretch, one needs to first warm up muscles before stretching. We recommend 5-10 minute intervals of light activity such as a quick walk. You can also stretch after aerobics or weight training workouts,” he says. It is recommended to relax upon stretching, breath easily and hold a stretch for about 30 seconds. A number of circumstances that require stretching include, after a long stand or body imbalance, or sitting in one position for a while, Ruzindana says. He also notes that stretching is advised for obese and overweight people, elderly and other groups. It is always advisable to seek professional advice on which stretching technique would work best for you. Stretching, like any other flexibility type of exercise, works with other exercise routines in order to get the most out of your physical wellness programme.
