Have you ever noticed that dogs stretch quite often, especially after they wake up or prepare for running or doing some physical activity? Well, stretching seems to be nothing unusual for them, but there is a strong reason or instinctual habit associated with this stretching behaviour. Dogs remain fitter than most other animals and stretching or doing cardio unknowingly is one of the most important reasons behind their agility, flexibility and overall good health. Read more about the evolutionary reasons that prompt stretching in dogs.
Do you need a cardio program?
There are many health benefits of stretching for humans as well. We’ll focus on them one by one, but first thing first. Let’s try to find find out whether you need stretching your body daily or not. If you do physical activities such as running, walking or jogging on a daily basis, then chances are that you’ll not notice much difference in your overall health simply by stretching exercises. You may need additional exercise programs for noticeable health benefits. However, that is not the case with most people, especially those who spend their whole day in front of a PC or laptop.
Back stretches- Yoga for flexibility and spinal health
Though yoga covers mental, physical and spiritual health and overall harmony with nature, there is a huge emphasis on physical fitness first before trying to achieve mental or spiritual fitness. At the core of physical fitness is the flexibility of our muscles, and spine in particular. In fact, yoga practitioners believe that the more flexible your spine is, the better is your health. Stretching your back as often as possible is the key to maintaining flexibility of your spine, which will in turn keep you healthy, fit and active. However, the sad fact is that we hardly pay attention to or find time for this simple activity that can work wonders for our health.
How to check your heart health by stretching
Possibly you are not aware that flexibility or suppleness of your back is a good indication of how healthy your heart is. Here is a quick check on your cardiac health. Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? This can be done either in standing or sitting positions, which are both yogic positions we’ll talk about later. If you can touch your toes, then it is a good indication of your heart’s good health. If you cannot touch your toes without bending your knees, then you need to start taking care of your heart health as soon as possible. Unless you have some other physical or health condition that hampers your ability to touch your toes, you can safely conclude that your heart needs attention.
Flexibility of arteries
Your arteries start losing their flexibility over time resulting in stiffening of arteries and onset of cardiovascular health problems. As your arteries start stiffening, your heart start working harder to pump blood to other parts and organs of your body. This results in high blood pressure and many other health issues. Again the bottom line seems to be the flexibility of arteries. If we can keep our arteries flexible, we can effectively reduce the symptoms of cardiovascular health problems.
Arterial stiffness is caused by natural ageing, which obviously is beyond our control. However, there are various other risk factors that trigger stiffness of arteries such as:
- Smoking
- Heavy consumption of alcohol
- Sedentary lifestyle
- High fat diet
- And more
However, the good news is that you can bring back the flexibility of your spine and arteries by stretching and other exercises.
5 highly effective stretching tips
Touch your toes
Though it may not be easy for those who are overweight or obese, I suggest that simply trying to touch your toes everyday and pushing yourself slightly more than your previous day’s effort will do the trick. You will start progressing and within a month or so, you may notice a remarkable difference in your spinal flexibility and overall health. This can be done in either sitting or standing position. Starting with standing position will be slightly easier for those with a fat belly.
Shoulder stretching or rotation
Highly effective for those who spend long hours in front of a computer, shoulder rotation can also work wonders for neck and back pain. It is simple, all you need to do is lift your shoulders towards your ears and then drop. Repeat the exercise 10 times in both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations. This can be done whilst you are in office during bio-breaks or even at your desk.
Torso or side stretch
Stand tall, stretch your arms above your head and grasp your palms whilst they face towards sky. Look upwards keeping your eyes open. Now, bend sideways slowly in left and right directions, making sure that you don’t bend forward. The idea is to stretch your side muscles as much as possible. Well, this can be done in sitting position also, but optimal health benefits are achieved in standing position.
Chest stretch
For this, you need to find a doorway which is wide enough for you to place your palms on the door frames at shoulder height. Push yourself forward until your chest feels the stretch. Remain in this position for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat it as and when you feel comfortable but at least once a day to notice some health benefits.
Cobra position or Bhujangasana
Well, this cannot be done in the office, but it is highly effective if you can do it everyday just for 2-5 minutes at home. Simply lie on your stomach, put your palms on the ground at your shoulder level and lift your torso as much as possible whilst ensuring that your waist remains in touch with the ground. In fact, you can also try to look backwards by stretching your neck in backward direction as much as possible. This position stretches your front and back completely and is highly beneficial for weight loss, heart and overall well-being.
Static stretching
Well, the moment you think of stretching, probably static stretching is what comes to your mind unless you are a professional. As the name suggests, it is essentially the type of stretching wherein you stretch your specific muscles by certain posture and maintain that posture for 30-60 seconds. This is one of the most popular and effective ways of stretching. However, there are various other methods that work wonders for people with different needs and preferences.
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