Daily Stretching Routine to Improve Flexibility and Movement

Through proper range of motion, stretching can improve flexibility; reduce muscle tightness and stiffness; and improve the way our bodies move. Many individuals will only perform stretching exercises after experiencing some type of pain or tightness.

Having a consistent daily stretching routine is essential for preventing these issues from occurring.

The Benefits of Stretching

Daily routine practicing has many physical benefits for your body. Some of these include improvements in posture, decreased headaches, reductions in muscle tension and improved flexibility.

Practicing stretching multiple times per week is also effective at helping to decrease discomfort and difficulties associated with daily activities of movement.

Stretching as Part of Your Fitness Program

Stretching can also be used as part of the warm-up process before exercising and as part of the cool down process after exercising. Stretching should be a primary component in any fitness program.

Stretching lowers both physical and mental tension as well as increases focus due to the increased amount of energy available to the body.

Benefits of stretching

Improved posture
Reduced muscle tension
Increased flexibility

Flexibility vs Mobility

Flexibility and mobility are separate concepts that describe different features of body. When our body is aligned with proper muscle and joint alignment, it allows for easier completion of many common activities such as walking, lifting, and sitting.

Benefits Each Day

Your daily activities will be more manageable.
You will be less at risk of developing joint problems.
You will have better balance and coordination.

Designing Your Stretch Routine

With an understanding of both flexibility and mobility, you can create a balanced stretching routine which will not only improve your overall body performing but also play an important role in improving fitness level.

Morning Stretching

Morning stretches prepare your body to move and alleviate stiffness associated with having been asleep. It will help you feel younger and gain more energy, as well as provide an increase in blood flow.

Evening Stretching

Stretching and gentle movement between 30 minutes and 1 hour prior to going to bed should be done slowly to facilitate proper relaxation of contracted muscles and to assist in the preparation of the body for sleep. Stretching at bedtime will help alleviate backache and other types of soreness that may occur from the various activities of the day.

Benefits of Sleep

In addition to helping with any soreness that may occur after exercising, quality of sleep will be increased because stretching in the evening will help to increase the speed with which you fall asleep by relaxing your muscles prior to going to bed.

According to the National Sleep Foundation experts, participating in a physical activity prior to falling asleep is beneficial to improving the quality of your overall sleeping experience.

Recommended Stretches

forward bends (hip flexors)
seated spinal twist
gentle hip openers

Creating a Routine

A good nightly stretching routine will be achieved by repeating the same stretches over a set amount of time and by removing anything that will distract you from relaxing and wanting to stretch.

Routine Tips

Find a quiet comfortable area to stretch
Avoid being too intense or fast when stretching
Concentrate on breathing accurately while you stretch
Be simple and consistent with your stretch

The above process will create a consistent stretching routine over time, allowing you to achieve a more flexible body and also to create a good routine of stretching to improve the health and well-being of your entire body.

Mistakes People Make When Stretching

There are many reasons why people start stretching but do not continue doing so.

One other issue is overstretching.

Do not forget to

Do not hold your breath
Do not stretch if your muscles are cold

Benefits in the Long-Term

Daily stretching is beneficial for flexibility in the short term; however, performing the same stretching routine over and over again will have a long-term impact on the health well-being of your body.

The single bigger benefit of stretching is that it improves your posture. When muscles become tight, it may cause the body to become misaligned causing pain.

So most fitness device theorists believe that stretching can be used to correct imbalances created in your body thus improving posture and overall health.

Other Benefits

Increased flexibility in the entire body
Decreased risk of injury
Support improvement of posture
Improvement of daily activity flow due to improved mobility

When you add daily stretching into your routine, you will be improving your wellness, comfort, and quality of life over a lifetime.

Tips for Building Consistency

You will typically find that once you begin your daily stretching routine that you will find it more difficult to maintain than prior to starting.

One of the main reasons for this will likely be the lack of consistency due to motivational issues and not experiencing immediate results.

As a result you will want to establish some simple ideas tools approaches to help you create a routine that is logical with your daily routine.

For Creating Consistency

One of the easiest ways to create consistency is to attach your stretching routine with an already established routine.

For example, if you did your stretching first thing in the morning or last thing before bed will help you remember to do it, plus you will likely continue your stretching routine for a longer duration if stretching is kept short and simple.

Customizing Your Stretching Routine

Everyone has a different use for stretching depending upon their daily activities.

Customization Tips

Choose the stretches that are most applicable to your daily activities
Only focus on your worst problem areas i.e. back or legs
Be flexible as needed with your level of intensity according to time or physical condition