Should I Be Stretching Everyday?

Should I Be Stretching Every Day?

When you wake up in the morning, do you yawn and stretch? Well, studies say that you should be doing more than that! Our physical therapy Macomb MI at Empower PT and Fitness encourages stretching, and there are plenty of good reasons why you should be stretching daily. Here are some ways that stretching daily will benefit you:

  1. Help your flexibility
  2. Give you a full range of motion
  3. Physical activity performance will increase
  4. Help your posture
  5. Provide stress relief and relax your thoughts
  6. Reduce headaches from tension
  7. Reduce the risk of injury and pulling or straining muscles
  8. Help circulation and prevent blood flow problems

These reasons are seemingly extraordinary but they are why people who do intense training and physical therapy do these stretches before working out. To build on this knowledge, our clinic of physical therapy Macomb MI will provide you with two types of stretches you can do at home daily, and then what to do and not do when stretching.

  1. Static stretching: holding a position for 10 to 30 seconds and good for after exercise.
  2. Dynamic stretching: active movements that stretch your muscles and do not hold a position.

When doing either of these types of stretches and if you choose physical therapy Macomb MI:

  • DO
      • Talk with your doctor about what stretches may aggravate a past injury
      • Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth
      • Work on your posture first because this will make the rest of your body more comfortable with more stretching
      • After posture, pick some target points to work on as you do not want to overdo it on your body
      • Keep your stretches pain-free; if it hurts, stop
  • DON’T
    • Bounce – your muscles contracting will tear them
    • Static stretching before exercise, only do dynamic stretches before and static after
    • Start quickly – you’ll want to warm up slowly and not shock your body

Contact Empower Physical Therapy Macomb MI Today!

If you follow these suggestions, you will be on your way to keeping your body healthy and your muscles in good shape to start physical therapy Macomb MI. Your therapist will examine your muscles and capabilities before assigning tasks and moving your muscles accordingly to help with your specific needs. Visit our website and book an appointment to help your muscles feel their best today!