Are You Stretching Enough?

Stretching can have a wide range of health benefits and help reduce the risk of falls but it’s something many of us don’t do enough of. So, why not add more stretching to your daily routine?

For many of us, the only stretching we do is the first big stretch and yawn when we wake up in the morning. But adding more stretching to your daily routine can have some significant health benefits.

Why is stretching good for you?

Stretching helps keep your muscles healthy, strong and flexible. That in turn helps to keep your joints mobile. So, it’s really crucial for overall mobility. When you don’t stretch enough, your muscles can become shorter and tighter, which restricts your movement. That niggling back ache and poor posture could be a result of not stretching out your body regularly enough.

Stretching can also help improve blood flow to the muscle, relieve stress and improve your balance. This can be especially useful in helping to prevent falls in the elderly population – falling is one of the biggest causes of death in people over 75. A regular stretching routine may help combat some of the balance issues that contribute to this risk.

A stretching routine can also be particularly helpful for people who work at a desk all day or have a health condition that makes them less active in general. But even someone who is on their feet all day may still not be stretching all the muscle groups they need to. Adding some manageable stretches to your day, might just help you stay strong and supple for longer.

How do I stretch safely?

Obviously, you need to incorporate stretching that is manageable for your own abilities and circumstances. If you have a health condition or are unsure whether an exercise is safe for you to do, it’s best to consult your doctor or do it under the supervision of a professional, like a physiotherapist, or qualified fitness or yoga instructor.

As with any other form of exercise, it’s best to start small and simple. Over-do it on the first try and you may pull something. It’s never good to force anything, so it’s always advisable to take things slow and steady and stay within your comfort zone. Even with a little every day, you could still see and feel a difference to your range of movement and quality of life.

Useful information

If you have health or mobility issues and would like some ideas for simple standing and sitting stretches, Age UK have some examples here.

The NHS website also has some simple mobility exercises that you may find useful here.

If you’re finding it more difficult to live independently due to health or mobility issues, we’re here to help. We provide quality home care and live-in care to people across the London Borough of Bromley. If you need more support to live well at home, please get in touch for a chat with our friendly care at home team.