Have you ever watched your cat right after he wakes up from a nap? what does kitty do? He stretches his whole body. As you probably know, cats are amazingly athletic creatures that can jump feet in the air without the slightest effort. Cats are ridiculously nimble, practically until they die. Granted, cats are built differently from humans but that doesn't mean we can't learn a valuable lesson from their after nap rituals.
Here's the thing about muscles. When you don't use them, they tighten up. If you use your tightened muscles without properly stretching them, you risk damaging them. If you've ever pulled a back muscle or neck muscle after simple effort, you know this to be true. When we're young, we humans think we're indestructible. Of course, we're far more active in our youth. The young have yet to be confined to cubicles or stuck behind counters for eight hours a day. Kids move around a whole lot more than adults. They come by physical activity naturally. Then again, there's an awful lot of kids who spend ages glued in front of video game screens and computer monitors. The truth is, all of us could use a good stretch.
In Athletics, they call it Warming Up.
Whether it be football, track or even ballet, the practice isn't just common, it's mandatory. The act of slowly lengthening tight muscles in order to reduce the stress on the body. The thing is, we're not advocating a work-out warm up here. This is about stretching as a way to relieve the stress of living in a sedentary world. If you're the kind of person who jogs or plays sports regularly then you're already a veteran of the warm up. This article isn't really directed to you. This article is for all the non athletes. You know who you are. You're the ones who spend most of your day behind a desk and go home to spend the rest of your waking hours staring at your monitors or televisions or game consoles. We get you. We understand you. You're not lazy. We know good and well that you end your day just as exhausted as anyone who has a manual labor job. We realize that your life is as draining as any marathon runner's, in fact more so. There are plenty of studies that prove that people who do some sort of physical activity on a consistent basis sleep better, feel better and experience less mental strain. This is why stretching is so important for a person like you. You need it more than your racket ball playing buddy.
Have you ever had one of those moments in the middle of the day where you absolutely cannot concentrate? And did you then try to kick-start your brain with another cup of coffee? A candy bar? Take a couple of Ginseng tablets? Smack your self in the forehead? You're wasting your time. You don't need stimulants or sugar or physical pain. You need adrenaline. You need blood flow. You need oxygen. These are the things that kick into gear when you stretch. A good, all-body stretch releases adrenaline, speeds up your heart rate, dilates capillaries and all of this, in turn, feeds precious oxygen to your brain. After you stretch, you'll think better, remember better and feel better. You'll even sleep better and wake up more refreshed.
The Question is, How Will You Stretch?
What are the best ways to loosen your tight muscles, while getting the most benefit? Obviously, raising your arms and legs out is stretching but that only takes care of your arms and legs. You want to stretch your whole body. You especially want to work your back and core. That's why we mentioned kitty at the top of this article. One of the oldest series of poses in Yoga is based on the stretching that your feline friend performs after his cat nap. It takes no more than 5-15 minutes of your time and is relatively easy to perform if you're a fairly mobile individual. There are many names for this series of poses. When we we learned it, the instructor called it "Greeting to the Sun". You can find illustrated instructions for this series of poses here:
Another wonderful way to achieve full-body stretching is to use one of those enormous, inflatable exercise balls. These are particularly great for older folks and those who are unable to perform the cat poses noted above. Just wrap your body over the exercise ball and roll it under you. Lay with your back over it and roll it again. Try to do a few push-ups with the ball under your tummy. Lay your palms on the ground and stretch your legs out, while using the ball as a body support.
Naturally, you want to consult your doctor before you start any sort of exercise. You also want to take it easy with stretching so you don't overdo it and hurt yourself. You're not trying to get in shape. You're simply stretching out your muscles so they don't atrophy.
If you want to feel better, think better and sleep better, take a lesson from your cat. Stretch. Stretch for your health. Stretch for your mind. Stretch because it's good for you!
By J.A. Romig | VEESH Writer | APR.07.08