Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Ever wonder what stretching does?

As we perform daily activities and exercise, muscle tightness can decrease our functional ability and potentially lead to pain and injuries. To keep the muscles healthy, stretching is essential. Our nervous system has a stretch reflex that tries to help protect the muscle from damage by only letting it contract in what the brain believes is a safe range. When we stretch, we explore deeper into our range of motion and tell our brain more extensive ranges are safe, decreasing the stretch reflex. These effects increase mobility and range of motion, preparing the muscles for optimal body functioning. For best results stretching should be done daily.

Posted at 11:46 AM