Four reasons why you need to start stretching

Back pain. Neck pain. Shoulder pain. Knee pain. These are just a few of the issues that can be related to tight, inflexible muscles. 

A physical therapist is ideally suited to help you learn why you need to start stretching. Yes, building strength and endurance is important. But whether you’re an athlete or someone coping with the aches and pains of aging, increasing your flexibility through stretching is crucial. Read on to learn the top four benefits of stretching.

• Improved flexibility

One reason why you need to start stretching is it helps improve your flexibility and range of motion. How far your joints can move in all directions influences virtually every moment of the day. 

Arthritis, injuries or just tight muscles can hamper how far, and where, you can flex and extend your limbs and torso. For instance, you might have difficulty twisting your neck to see behind you when driving. You might also not be able to move your knee freely. Clearly good range of motion is crucial for both daily life and fitness pursuits. Even if you’re fairly stiff now, doing more stretches each day can gradually reduce stiffness and increase flexibility.

• Understanding your body better

Another reason why you need to start stretching is it’ll help you learn more about your body and the pain it’s feeling. When your calves start feeling a bit tight after a run, it’s obvious that more stretching is needed. But we sometimes forget the sheer interconnectedness of our bodies. 

If you’re experiencing knee or hip pain, for example, stretching your quadriceps, calves and glutes during physical therapy can help. Likewise, stretching your shoulders and upper back can help loosen up your neck and decrease neck pain. 

• Improved posture

A third reason why you should start stretching is the positive effect it can have on your posture. Far too many people suffer from poor posture; one study reports that almost 64% of people surveyed had forward head posture. 

Muscles tend to shorten and tighten up while you’re sitting all day. They can also become overtired if you’re making repetitive movements. This can leave you feeling achy and stiff, but it can also lead to issues like neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain. Doing a short stretching routine throughout the day can help limber up tight muscles and allow you to sit, stand and move with better posture. 

• Cumulative effects

Another reason you need to start stretching regularly is that its benefits increase over time. Stretching for one day isn’t going to immediately increase your flexibility, even though it can feel good. It’s likely that your muscles have become inflexible over many months or years. By the same token, it will likely take some time to increase their flexibility again. 

The upside of this is that you can work with a physical therapist to develop a personalized stretching program you can do every day. Using such a program should allow you to maintain a higher level of flexibility. In turn, this can reduce many types of pain and help you avoid injuries.

Peak Performance can help you build a personalized stretching program 

Of course, there are plenty of other ways that stretching can improve your life. Many people enter a Zen-like state as they stretch. Others get a sense of pride from being more limber. When you’re ready to add stretches to your daily routine, consider getting started through physical therapy. 

Our Peak Performance team can walk you through the best ways to tackle your situation. Static or dynamic stretching? Pre- or post-activity stretching? Our physical therapists can help you learn the basics. 

Contact us today for more information about our helpful therapy services or to schedule an initial appointment.