Alison Crane, Garland County Extension Service
Have you ever watched a sleeping cat suddenly stand up, stretch, and then lay back down to sleep? Cats have capitalized on the benefits of stretching. Women can benefit from incorporating stretching into their daily routines, too.
Regular stretching helps to keep muscles strong and flexible. When not in motion, muscles shorten and become tight. Taking time to stretch can prevent injury and maintain muscle health that is essential for preventing falls.
Consider stretching every morning before getting out of bed. Taking a moment to stretch before putting weight on your feet and legs will help you to move easier and prevent catches in the muscles or feet that can cause a tumble when taking those first steps each morning. For people who have plantar fasciitis, stretching their feet before rising can impact how they walk for the rest of the day.
Taking time to stretch throughout the day has numerous advantages. Stretching increases flexibility and improves range of motion. For someone who has poor circulation (like me), stretching increases blood flow to the muscles, which can prevent injury and speed recovery. Stressed? Stretching relaxes those tense muscles.
Ready to stretch? There is a right way and wrong way to stretch. When stretching you need to be relaxed with your focus on the muscles being stretched. You should feel a stretch but not pain. When muscles are stretched too far or when you bounce while stretching, tears in the muscle fiber can happen.
Slow, relaxed movements allow you control and give you the benefit without risking damage. Hold the stretch for about 20-30 seconds and then slowly release. For most stretches, you will shift back into your starting position and then move into the next stretch.
Before you start stretching exercises, warm up first. Warming up increases the temperature of muscles by increasing blood flow, which makes the muscles more limber and pliable. Several minutes of general movement (swinging the arms or walking around) or performing the exercise at a slow pace will work. Five to 10 minutes of warm-ups before a workout can actually increase how long you are able to exercise.
Anyone can stretch. Regardless of age, flexibility or fitness level, we can stretch any time, any place. There really is nothing like a good stretch!
If you would like more information on stretching and easy exercises that you can do to improve your physical fitness, contact the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service for our research-based exercise fact sheets and our low-cost exercise program, Extension Get Fit. Visit our website, http://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/garland/ or call 501-623-6841.
This month's Wonderful Wednesdays! is about how nutrition can affect brain health. Join us March 27 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Garland Co. Library for the monthly Wonderful Wednesdays! This program is free and sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service and the GCEHC.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Garland County Extension Service as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.