Here’s Why Stretching Each Day Is the Healthiest Habit You Can Commit to

Here’s Why Stretching Each Day Is the Healthiest Habit You Can Commit to:“I should do this more often” lists are really long for many of us. Setting priorities is important, and there’s a single thing you can do to cross off several goals at once. Stretching—yes, the simple bending and stretching moves you learned in gym class—not only gets you ready to move.

Here’s Why Stretching Each Day Is the Healthiest Habit You Can Commit to

but it can also help your back feel better, take away the stress of the day, and even help you sleep better. Even better, these benefits can be gained by anyone, whether they stretch often or haven’t touched their toes in years. Here are seven reasons why you should do nothing else but stretch more often.

You’ll overcome the low energy blahs

Dynamic stretching, in which you move like you’re doing a sport or exercise, can boost blood flow in just a few minutes. This can wake you up in the middle of the afternoon and help you get back on track.

Also see: 14 Best Cool Down Exercises to Recover and Stretch After a Workout

You’ll build better balance

Have you ever stepped on something by mistake and almost fell? Our feet or legs have all hit something unexpected, like the dog’s bone or a tree root that we didn’t know was there. When you stretch, your balance gets better, which makes it more likely that you’ll stay upright.

You’ll improve your range of motion

Want to take your bra off? You can do this. When you stretch, your range of motion gets bigger, which is useful all day. It lets you scratch that hard-to-reach spot on your shoulder blade, get to that thing on the top shelf, and yes, even free your own bra strap.

“This is even more important as you get older,” says Tavel, who wrote Stretch Yourself Healthy for Prevention. “Natural processes make you less flexible as you age, which can eventually cause stiffness and pain in your joints.”

You’ll sleep better

Stretching can help you fall asleep faster. Stretching can help you deal with some of the things that keep you up at night in addition to making you feel better. For example, if you get leg cramps a lot, stretching for a few weeks may make them less painful and less common.

You’ll protect your overall health

The findings of a review of the studies indicate that stretching may help enhance the health of blood vessels throughout your body, which in turn may help reduce the chance of developing heart disease.

This is because stretching improves blood circulation. In additional research, which was conducted on mice and was thus not yet fit for use with humans, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University discovered that stretching for ten minutes each day resulted in a breast tumor growth that was fifty-two percent less.

(You might be thinking, “What exactly is the mouse’s method of stretching?” The mice were placed in a stretched position by the researchers after they were prompted to grab a bar. The researchers then pulled the mice by the tail into a stretched position.

You’ll reduce pain

Do you work from home too much? We understand that stretching won’t help you get rid of the annoying coworker who is always late for Zoom talks. (Some work pains are always there.)

There is a way to ease the pain that comes from sitting too much, though: stretch. One randomized controlled study found that office workers who were shown a set of daily stretches had less neck, shoulder, and back pain than those who didn’t stretch.

You’ll feel terrific!

Stretching can be a natural part of your health habit. It’s easy to start stretching regularly, even if you haven’t been active for years. Tavel says that this can help you reach some of your most important health goals.

Prevention’s Ultimate Stretching Program

Good news: stretching for just a few minutes a day can help loosen up stiff joints, get rid of long-term stress, sleep better, and feel more energized!

With this brand-new guide and DVD set, you can now make a stretching routine that fits your lifestyle, your health goals, and your sore body parts—all for a low price.