While stretching might not be the most exciting activity in your fitness repertoire (you have no goals to reach, or PRs to set), it's actually quite important. "It’s proven to reduce lower back pain, improve hamstring and hip flexor flexibility, and it helps the muscles attached to the pelvis, all of which are critical to reducing the stress to the lumbar spine. It promotes muscular relaxation and reduces muscular tension,” says Bhavna Harchandrai, a Mumbai-based personal trainer. Here are four reasons you should be stretching not just before and after workouts, but adding active stretches to the rest of your day too.
1. Stretching can help prevent injuries
In addition to making one look leaner and longer, stretching helps increase your range of motion, which improves your physical efficiency and performance. “If your joints are more flexible, instead of taking shorter strides, you'll have a longer stride. Anything you do, there is more range of movement. Your risk of injury will go down. Stretching decreases the resistance in various tissues. It increases blood and nutrient supply to the joints which keeps them healthy and improves the elasticity,” says Harchandrai.
2. Stretching can prevent backaches
Dialling it up on the at-home workouts right now? You'll want to stretch before—and after. “Your hamstring muscles are connected to your lower back. Over a period of time, if you're running (running also gives a lot of tension on your hamstrings) or weight training, the muscle gets tighter and the tightness builds up and it hits your lower back. When you stretch, this tightness eases out. It’s proven to help with lower back ache,” says Harchandrai.
3. Stretching can help with joint pain
Joints are surrounded by synovial fluid, which reduces the degenerative process of the joints. If this fluid gets too viscous, it can cause joint pain, which manifest commonly as knee issues. “Stretching helps reduce viscosity and increases the quantity to properly lubricate all the joints to the required proportion. This also helps with the supply of blood and nutrients to the area,” she says.
4. Stretching can leave you feeling soothed
“When the tension in your muscles reduces, you'll get relaxed. You'll be able to accomplish activities better if your muscles are relaxed. Active stretching before any workout and passive stretching after it makes your regime enjoyable and gives you a good finish too,” says Harchandrai.
Convinced? Here are five stretches you can try at home now
Lie down, pull your knees to your chest for a lower back stretch.
Lie down, one leg down straight, other leg up straight and hold whatever you can reach, whether it’s the back of your knees, calves, shoelaces, toes. This is a good stretch for the back of your thigh or hamstring stretch.
To stretch your hip muscles, cross one leg over the other, loop one arm in and the other arm out and hug your legs in, like a figure four. This is great for the pelvic girdle.
For a quadriceps stretch, lie down on the belly in prone position. Pull one leg in at a time, this stretches the front of your thighs.
In a sitting position, interlace your fingers and lift your arms up, keeping your chin up. This opens the chest.
Also read:
5 expert-approved ways to improve your stamina and amp up your workout routine
This is how a foam roller can really power up your workout routine
