STRETCHING

Stretching: an often ignored, yet important component of exercise and healthy living. Whether you are an avid runner, a yogie, a lifter, or someone who likes to exercise in a class or individual setting, stretching is an key part of helping you reach your fitness goals and stay injury-free. However, many people neglect to stretch before or after exercise, primarily because it “takes up too much time” and is an under-emphasized component of exercise. Skipping over this step could cause someone to miss out on the benefits that it brings. Engaging in stretching before an exercise helps warm the muscles up and make motions feel looser and smoother. After exercise, it prevents muscles from tensing up and helps to prevent soreness. For those who have experienced cancer and treatment, stretching can be an important component of recovery after radiation and chemotherapy treatments. It can help to restore range of motion after surgery or a period of being sedentary, and increase circulation.

Carol J. Michaels, author of “Exercises for Cancer Survivors” put out an article highlighting 12 tips on how to stretch effectively. Some of these tips include holding the stretch until you feel tension, but not pain. Muscles in the body are wired to contract when they feel pain, which will prevent a good stretch. Also, stretching daily will help you see the most improvement. She notes that some of the benefits of stretching include improved posture, movement of lymph throughout the body, reduction of stress, and overall improvement of well-being. You can check out the article for more details and more posts by Carol Michaels here: https://anticancerclub.com/healthy-mind-and-body/12-tips-on-how-stretching-benefits-cancer-recovery-by-carol-j-michaels-award-winning-personal-trainer/