Improve your quality of life with stretching

In today's society, everything is always fast. We glorify speed, performance, efficiency, etc. We would like to have more than 24 hours in a day. It is not surprising that the level of stress of the population is very high.

On the other hand, with technology, we have never been so sedentary.

Thus, being stressed on a daily basis and then having more tension, in addition to sitting for hours (in front of the computer, then in the car and in front of the television), affects the muscles. It also impacts their flexibility and, consequently, the posture.

We must understand that health is a balance of strength and flexibility/softness. Currently, as we can read above, we are very much in the "strength" and, "flexibility" is often very neglected.

To rebalance everything and improve our quality of life, we must leave more room in our routines to stretch.

Stretching has many benefits for our body:

• They can significantly help with the healing of a muscle injury or tendonitis. By well stretching the muscle and releasing tension from the joint, it avoids many long-term complications.

• By bringing greater flexibility and muscle amplitude, they can better perform and have better posture during training exercises. They can also have an effect on sports performance.

• In general, they promote mobility and help blood circulation. This promotes better recovery after physical activity.

• By promoting better mobility, it helps prevent injuries and reduces tension and pain. It helps to have a better posture in general.

You can then see that including stretches in your daily life has several benefits for your health.

It's fine, but ...

Where to start?

It does not have to be complicated and takes hours. In fact, stretching a muscle from 30 seconds to a minute a day can make a big difference in your daily life. So, spending five to ten minutes a day can be an excellent way to start including stretching.

Which stretches to prioritize?

Several options are possible.

If you have just trained, prioritize the muscles you have just worked on. During physical exertion, they often contract, and it is important to stretch them well so that they find their length. Do not hesitate to stretch the opposite muscles. For example, if you have just done abdominals, stretch these in addition to the back muscles.

If you sit for a long time, it may be a good idea, at the end of the day, to stretch your back, shoulders, neck, and hips /pelvis. Two engaging exercises for this happen to be the movement of the cat and the cow pose in yoga and the runner's lunge.

The important thing is to find exercises adapted to your situation and your body. Exercises that will do you good.

To do so, do not hesitate to consult a professional and / or to go to a yoga class.