Tip of the Day- Stretch before bedby Alison Palmer | More from this Blogger 26 Jan 2007 10:19 AM No gym and no special equipment, no previous experience required. Learn a lesson from your cat, and stretch! Stretching is often over looked for its health benefits. It can give you increased flexibility and better range of motion, improved circulation, better posture, stress relief, enhanced coordination, and lowers your risk of injury during exercise and daily activities. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry even suggests that stretching can lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol, and increase your body's ability to use insulin to improve the metabolism of blood sugar and carbohydrates. Stretching keeps our muscles flexible and increases blood flow, it keeps aches and pains to a minimum and relaxes tight and tense muscles. Stretching is stress-free, peaceful, and noncompetitive. Stretching feels good. You do not have to push limits or attempt to go further each day. Stretching is also completely adjustable. No previous experience required; it just gets better the more you do it. Your goal with a bed time stretch is relaxation, to reduce muscle tension that has built up from the day's activities. So take a few minutes tonight and stretch. Focus on your body's major muscle groups: calf, thigh, hip, lower back, neck and shoulder. Spend extra time soothing any areas that are stressed by tension, but never cause yourself pain. Give equal time to both sides of your body. Don't worry about how far you can stretch. Stretch only as far as it feels good for you. Hold each stretch position steadily for 15 - 30 seconds, don't bounce, it can cause injury. Breathe slowly and deeply. Let your mind stretch and relax with your body and work your cares away with your movements. Stretching before bed gives you a chance to transition to quite, and will improve your quality of sleep by allowing you to fall asleep faster, and sleep more deeply. So, stretch, and then sleep tight. I'll see you tomorrow. Related Articles: A Few Yoga Flows to Get Your Daily Practice Started Stretching - What You Need to Know Stretch Routines - Simple Tips to Follow "I Feel Like I'm Falling Apart." 8 Ways to Cope with Overwhelming Stress Learn more about Alison Palmer  Writing is Alison's favorite past time, but you can also frequently find her reading, playing piano, cooking, taking long walks, sewing, or playing with her family. Relevanthealth tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags muscles, relaxation, stretching, stress Discuss this article
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