The Joys of Stretching
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
Stretching is one of the best ways to relieve tension and not to mention, for free. Ever see how a cat stretches? It arches its back, hold its pose and then goes back to normal position then stretches its legs one at a time. Then the cat looks thoroughly relaxed. Sometimes, our furry friends can teach us a thing or two when it comes to relaxing through stretching.
Remember to breathe during a stretch. Often people hold their breath when stretching. This is not right. Breathe in during the starting position and breathe out during the stretch. By breathing out during the stretch, your body releases the tension and your movement is more fluid and more relaxing.
Office workers can greatly benefit with another stretch called the neck stretch. Tired after sitting behind the computer for hours? Try this. Sit at the edge of your office chair. Place your left hand on the side of your head and breathe in. then move your neck and make it rest on your left shoulder, gently stretch your neck muscles and hold for two seconds. Return to the starting position and stretch the other side. This time, use your right hand; let your neck rest on right shoulder. Do this five to seven times and feel your neck muscles relax. Feel the tension being relieved. Keep this in your mind as this is the most common form of stretching you can utilize when at work. This can also be used by computer users who spend a lot of time in front of the monitor and play games endlessly.
Appropriate warming up through proper stretching is important to safeguard the body from unnecessary injuries. This keeps your heart pumping on the go and your blood circulating prior to start of any vigorous activity.
Discover the joys of stretching your body. Practice it and be healthy.
