Is stretching that important?

Yes, stretching is important. Unless you want aches, pains and cramps. And stretching is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or working in an office.  

Stretching is vital to maintain flexibility in joints and keep your muscles strong. If you don’t stretch, Harvard Health explains that you run the risk of joint pain, muscle damage and strains. Ugh.

Where should you start your stretching journey? Well, yoga is one place. Yoga helps stretch muscles while relaxing your mind. You know what’s even better? You can do it from the comfort of your own home.

Johns Hopkins Medicine explains how slow movements from yoga and deep breathing help increase blood flow and decrease arthritis symptoms. Therefore, blood can reach muscles and joints, causing them to become stronger.

Additionally, stretching is good for heart health. UCLA Health explains that while stretching gets blood flowing into the muscles and joints, it also goes into the arteries. This helps prevent high blood pressure, which can help prevent heart disease and strokes.

It’s okay if you don’t want to do yoga every day to get a stretch in. If so, here is a simple stretch you can do while watching TV:

Standing hamstring stretch

Have your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Put one foot slightly in front of the other. Slowly bend down with your hands, trying to touch your toes. Go as far as you can and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Once you’re done with one leg, switch and put the other leg in front.

Now, give it a try and see how you feel afterward.