Happy Stretch Day

Happy Stretch Day. One of the amazing things about humans is that they do not always act in their best interests. If we did all the things we knew would produce a healthy body – there would be fewer hospitalizations, fewer drug sales and healthier bodies.  Bodies need to stretch, but few bodies take the time for even minimal stretching. That’s why I’m declaring this national stretch day.

Have you noticed how your dog or cat always stretch when they get up? Remember stretching when your were a kid?

According to the Mayo Clinic, the top five benefits of stretching include:

• Increased flexibility and joint range of motion:
  Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.
• Improved circulation:
  Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you've had any muscle injuries.
• Better posture:
  Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.
• Stress relief:
  Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.
• Enhanced coordination:
  Maintaining the full range-of-motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

Today try a few unusual stretches. Say “wow” ten times really stretching your mouth. Next pull your ears from the tops, sides and bottom three times. Next raise your right arm above your head and stretch your body to the left three times. Now switch sides and repeat. This will take only about a minute to do. Do you feel your face waking up? Can you feel that aliveness rising in your torso.  Try 3 minutes of stretching in the morning or whenever you can get to it. Again I wish you a happy stretch day and remember to make everyday a holiday.