A dedicated stretching routine is fundamental to maintaining your overall health. Learn why here!

From the desk of Miles Everson:

Hello!

I hope your week is going well!

Every Friday in my  “Mindfulness by Miles”  articles, I talk about health, wealth, well-being, happiness, future of work, book reviews, marketing, tips, etc. in the hopes of helping you thrive in your personal life and career.

Today, I want to talk about stretching and its importance to your overall health!

Keep reading below to know more.

A dedicated stretching routine is fundamental to maintaining your overall health. Learn why here!

Did you know that aside from exercising, reducing mental distress, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet, there’s another essential component to aging gracefully?

In case you didn’t know,  flexibility  is another aspect of your well-being that you have to look out for as you get older.

Why?

This is because according to a study on flexibility, researchers found that men and women who were found to have optimal levels of flexibility tended to live longer and were much more likely to not die prematurely.

Before we dive deeper, why does your flexibility matter?

Flexibility refers to the limbs’ and joints’ full range of motion and their ability to move pain-free.

According to medical findings, from age 20 to 49, flexibility goes down by 10% each time a decade passes.

Simply said, as a person ages, his or her flexibility undergoes a downward spiral as joint stiffness becomes more prominent the more advanced the age.

With this in mind, how can you improve your flexibility?

Regular exercise helps in increasing mobility and flexibility. However, it’s still important to flex your joints whenever possible.

You can do this by reaching for your toes, extending your wrists and ankles, and stretching your hip flexors.

Aside from these, you can integrate flexibility training into your weekly routine or turn to yoga, Tai Chi, or pilates as these activities promote flexibility.

Integrating these exercises is easier said than done, since not everyone has the luxury to dedicate time and effort into stretching.

The good thing is you don’t have to spend so much time on dedicated stretching routines as there are ways for you to stretch on a daily basis!

According to one study, “ microstretching ,” or the act of not pushing your limbs or joints to a point where you feel pain, is more effective than increasing the intensity of a stretch.

By using this technique, you’re focusing on the frequency and consistency of your stretches rather than the intensity, so as a result, you don’t need to spend so much time and effort on stretching each day.

Aside from microstretching, there’s another technique you can use daily.

It’s called  static stretching .

If you’re not familiar with this type of stretching, it’s simply a method where you move a muscle as far as it can go without feeling any discomfort for 20 to 45 seconds.

Static stretches are usually repeated two to three times each, with a total stretching time of 5 minutes.

Aside from being really easy to do, static stretching is found to be one the most effective methods for increasing long-term flexibility!

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See?

With the techniques we shared with you above, you’ll be able to maintain and improve your flexibility as you age.

More importantly, you don’t need to spend so much time and effort stretching each day!

Making sure you stretch on a consistent basis can make a big difference to your long-term health.

After all, it’s not just about extending your lifespan; the benefits of stretching also include alleviation of back pain, muscle tension, better blood flow, improved posture, reduced anxiety, lower exhaustion, and better mental health.

So, make sure to prioritize your flexibility and include stretching in your daily routine!

Trust us, your future self will thank you for doing so.

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