If you're anything like me, then you'll be guilty of favouring an extra set of reps or skipping the gym early rather than stretching. But stretching can be beneficial - check out our 4 reasons why.
1. It impoves your posture
We may think that stretching doesn't give us the same kind of visible results that a fitness routine does, but short and tight muscles can lead to bad posture - so say goodbye to that slump and try out some of these posture improving stretches.
2. It can help straighten you out
Unknown to us, a lot of our bodies are unbalanced - especially if you regularly carry a gym bag, handbag or laptop case (or all 3 like me!) Stretching can help restore some of this balance making you less wonky.
3. It can help you get a better bum
If have an office job, chances are you're spending a lot of the day sat on your behind. This can have a degenerative effect on your glutes which is not good - our glutes are a strong and important muscle and if we neglect it we can end up with pain in our knees and lower back due to over-exertion. Make sure you're including some glute stretches to combat this.
4. It can help you focus
If you've just completed a tough workout and your adrenaline is pumping, putting aside 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout can help your heart rate return to normal and give you some time to cool down both mentally and physically!
The jury's out when it comes to whether streching can help prevent Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) or injury, but it's obvious that stretching has some great benefits for your body. So put aside a little time during your next workout to give your body some deserved TLC.
