In 2023, I started stretching because Pilates exposed how tight I was all the time. I knew that using Pilates as my only means of stretching was not going to cut it. While I wasn’t always consistent, the days and times that I was stretching, I noticed how much better I felt, how less tight I was in my pilates class, and how much easier it was to lift. Because I’m on a mission to be more consistent this year, I have made it a point to stretch daily. And boy, the results have been terrific for me and my movement journey.
PHOTOS BY: DORESE JENAE PORTRAITS & MEGAN PRYLL PHOTOGRAPHY
3 BENEFITS OF STRETCHING DAILY
IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION
The number of times I’m surprised about what my body can do now that I wasn’t able to do last year is astonishing. Being able to touch my toes, sitting in a crossed leg position, or even being able to kick my leg higher are a few ways that stretching daily has improved my flexibility and range of motion.
STRESS RELIEF
I typically stretch in the evenings to signal to my mind and body that it’s time to wind down and get ready for bed. This time helps me release any lingering stress that I’d store from a day of work. Whether that’s from sitting all day – aka forgetting to use my standing desk – or just stress from deadlines and other shenanigans that can happen during the work day. Being able to stretch allows me to get into bed earlier and improve my mood.
IMPROVED ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
In these last three months, there has been a noticeable difference in my performance since I started stretching daily. In Pilates, it no longer hurts when I’m doing any sort of leg work because my hips are more flexible than they were previously. While pilates has obviously helped with more flexible hips, the noticeable difference with adding stretching is I can push a little further than I could last year. At the gym, my squats have gotten deeper and my shoulders are not as tight for arm day.
THE APP THAT’S HELP ME STRETCH DAILY
I talked about it before, but until I purchased the app StretchIT, I wasn’t consistent nor did I see the improvements I wanted. As a former gymnast & ballerina, I’m not a stranger to stretching. However, doing the same 5 stretching poses that I could remember wasn’t helping me in the least bit. The app helped me target and focus on certain areas of my body. I highly recommend it if you’re unsure where to start when it comes to stretching.
ARE YOU STRETCHING DAILY? WHY OR WHY NOT?
