Streching and Flexibility

Image result for stretch pic"

------------------------------------------------

The ideal stretching routine

Stretching promotes flexibility and helps your joints maintain a healthy range of motion—and in doing so, also lowers the chances of joint and muscle strain.

But how often should you stretch? How long should you hold a stretch? And how many times should you do each stretch?

Get your copy of Stretching: 35 exercises to improve flexibility and reduce pain

Stretching is an excellent thing you can do for your health. These simple, yet effective moves can help you limber up for sports, improve your balance and prevent falls, increase your flexibility, and even help relieve arthritis, back, and knee pain. Whether you're an armchair athlete or a sports enthusiast, this Special Health Report, Stretching: 35 exercises to improve flexibility and reduce pain, from the experts at Harvard Medical School will show you how to create effective stretching routines that meet your needs and ability.

A panel of experts convened by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reviewed a wide range of studies to help answer these questions. Stretching has been studied much less rigorously than other forms of exercise, so the science is not as strong. But, based on the evidence, the panel agreed that:

Healthy adults should do flexibility exercises (stretches, yoga, or tai chi) for all major muscle-tendon groups—neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles—at least two to three times a week.
For optimal results, you should spend a total of 60 seconds on each stretching exercise. So, if you can hold a particular stretch for 15 seconds, repeating it three more times would be ideal. If you can hold the stretch for 20 seconds, two more repetitions would do the trick.

To learn more about improving your flexibility, read Stretching, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

Image: Martinan/Getty Images

Share this story:

Six tips for safe stretches

Virtually every activity you do relies on ease of motion. Stretching can help in numerous ways. It can often relieve back pain, stiff necks, and sore knees when tight muscles are to blame. It can counteract too much sitting whether you're doing it for work or a pleasurable activity. If you're a runner, a tennis player, a golfer, a hiker, or a biker, the right stretching program may set you on a path toward better performance. And as you age, stretching can help keep you active and flexible, making it easier to accomplish innumerable everyday tasks involving walking, climbing stairs, or reaching.

While it's tempting to skip right to the stretches, it's best to think about safety first. These will help you make the best flexibility gains possible, while reducing your risk of injuries.

Warm up first. Much like taffy, muscles stretch more easily when warm. It can be as simple as marching in place with arms swinging for five minutes or dancing to a few songs. Moist heat packs or a warm shower are effective first steps, too.
Feel no pain. Stretch only to the point of mild tension, never to the point of pain. If a stretch hurts, stop immediately! Reset your position carefully, then try again. With time and practice, your flexibility will improve.
Pay attention to posture and good form. Posture counts whether you're sitting, standing, or moving. Good form translates to better gains in flexibility and less likelihood of injury when stretching tight muscles.
Focus on the muscle being stretched. You'll notice that one side of your body often is tighter than the other. Work on balancing this over time.
Breathe. Breathe comfortably while stretching, or use yoga breathing. Whatever you do, don't hold your breath while you are holding a stretch.
Practice often. You'll make the best gains if you stretch frequently—daily, or on as many days of the week as possible. At the very least, aim to do stretches two or three times a week.

To learn more about improving your flexibility, read Stretching, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try these stretches before you get out of bed

It's hard to jump out of bed for a great day when your muscles are stiff and your joints creaky. But you can change that by warming up and stretching before your feet ever touch the floor. Stretching before getting out of bed can help wake up the body and improve the circulation.

Get your copy of Stretching

Additional News from Harvard Health Publishing

How much water should you be drinking each day?

Finding meaning in life could improve your health

Alcohol-related deaths on the rise

Stretching

Featured content:

•	Stretching: The basics
•	Safety first
•	Stretching to ease pain
•	Six questions (and answers) about stretching exercises
•	SPECIAL SECTION: Warming up for sports with dynamic stretches
•	... and more!

Click here to read more »

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside Stretching, you’ll discover...

✓	35 stretches to ease pain and improve flexibility
✓	Over 100 tips and techniques
✓	Special Bonus Section: Warming up for sports
✓	And so much more!

Dear Reader,

Does it hurt to turn your head to see cars in the lane behind you? Do your knees and back feel stiff and achy? Is it difficult to reach the cereal on the top shelf or bend down to pick up something off the floor?

Would you like to find an easy way to become more flexible, ease pain, improve your balance, and prevent falls that can threaten your independence?

Then take a look at this report from Harvard Medical School — Stretching: 35 stretches to improve flexibility and reduce pain.

With this Special Health Report, you’ll discover:

How a tight ankle or calf muscle can make you more likely to fall
The secret to making arthritic joints more flexible
4 ways to make stretching easier
The trick to being flexible enough to touch your toes (check out page 5)
The best stretches to do to increase your range of motion
2 muscles that can give you a pain in the back, and how you can get relief
And so much more!

You’ll learn how stretching and flexibility can help you improve your balance and prevent falls. Plus, you’ll get photos of master trainer Josie Gardiner performing 35 different stretches, as well as her tips for how to customize them to your ability. You’ll find moves to boost overall flexibility and loosen up tight muscles, plus specific stretches to ease back pain, sore knees, and the neck and shoulder pain that comes from spending too much time sitting at a desk staring at a computer!

To see how effective stretching can be, watch the video at right now.

Plus, you’ll get a special section on the stretches that warm you up before your workout, and charts that detail which stretches are best for a variety of sports, like golf, tennis, cycling, walking, swimming, and more.

Click on these direct Globalcnet links and find specific information fast... DO IT NOW.

- How we Connect, How a connection works, click here

- Our many LIFE CONNECTIONS, click here

- BE SMART, HEALTH/LIFE Questions answerd, click here

- Current NEWS click this link

- LIFE CHALLENGES on your specific needs, conditions, thoughts for you,

or a friend, click on this link and look to your left

- Answers to 1000,s of Medical and Life QUSTIONS, click here

- HARVARD UNIVERSITY Health Information, click here

- WEDMD answers your medical questions, click here

- Alternative Medicine and HEALTH IDEAS, click here

- CRITICALhealth for Chronic Disease, click here