Health

Why Does Stretching Feel Good?

author-img By Mashum Mollah 5 Mins Read May 22, 2021

why does stretching feel good

If you are reading this article, chances are you are into fitness, or you are someone who takes a keen interest in keeping yourself fit. If so, you have come to the right place. In this article I am going to explain to you in detail why does stretching feel good?

The thing about stretching is, most people do not consider it to be an important part of the exercise. But you would be shocked to know that this is the most important part of the exercise. 

If you are not stretching properly before and after exercises, then you are making yourself prone to various kinds of injuries like a hamstring injury, strains, and muscle damage. 

Importance Of Stretching in 2021

why does stretching feel good

Before understanding why does stretching feel good? Let us find out why it is so important to stretch.

You might have this preconceived notion that stretching is only by sportsmen and gymnasts, but it is not so. Stretching not only keeps your whole body flexible, but it also makes your muscle strength. 

If you do not stretch on a regular basis then your muscles shorten and become very tight and when you become old, it will come to haunt you as you are literally making yourself prone to various kinds of diseases. 

Sitting at a place for longer periods of time apart from making you obese can take a toll on your mental health. If you stretch on a daily basis, your muscles will become flexible, strong, and lean. 

How To Stretch Properly?

If you are a little overweight and have never stretched in your entire life, you must be wondering how you possibly can do it. But do not worry, it’s not that hard. I am a personal trainer myself and I have been in this business for the last ten years. I have seen crazy transformations. 

I have trained people that weighed above 235lbs and turned them down to 150lbs. My point is I have seen the worst of people do the best of things. So if you want to find out why does stretching feel good so will have to try it for yourself.

The muscle that needs to be stretched the most is mostly located in your lower body area. For instance your calf muscles, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis, and your quadriceps.

If you are someone who is a little older, I would suggest you visit a good physical therapist instead of a gym trainer like me. A physical trainer can medically access the strength of your muscle and make a stretching program that is best suited for you. 

Why Do We stretch?

A very important thing you must note here is that stretching for a day or two will not give you any benefit. You need to stretch on a regular basis if you want to experience the real benefits of stretching. It might take up to 3 months for your muscles to gain some strength and flexibility. 

If you often suffer from hamstring injuries, a hamstring stretch will help the muscles to flex the muscles at the back of your thighs. In order to go for a hamstring stretch. 

You should sit on a flat surface and slowly move your hand down your leg until you feel that warm and uncomfortable sensation down your legs. Stay still for 30 seconds and then slowly move your body to the normal position.

What Does Stretching Do?

A common notion prevails that stretching before warming up is very important otherwise you may hurt yourself but it is exactly the opposite, new research has found out that warming up should be first, and then you can stretch your muscles. 

Stretching your muscle without warming up can actually hurt your muscles. When the muscles are cold, the fibers in them are not active, so they are not ready for the activity that you are going to do. If you exercise a little before stretching, it will warm up your muscles. 

Embrace the little pain which hurts yet feels so good. Don’t stop midway otherwise; it will severely injure your muscles. 

Why Does Stretching Feel Good?

Now let us come to the main point, why does stretching feel so good. There are a lot of reasons why it feels so good; one of them is the release of endorphins. The problem with millennials is that they want everything served to them on a plate. Most of the millennials are not into basic hand-free exercise like jogging, stretching, etc. 

When you stretch there is a natural release of endorphins in your body. The human brain is made in such a way that we tend to avoid pain and when we do something that needs a little bit of activity, our body starts releasing endorphins. It is mainly the reason why does stretching feels good. 

Factors That Influence The Efficacy Of Stretching

There are two factors contributing to the reason why does stretching feel good

Keep in mind these factors to understand why does stretching feel good.

  • It improves blood circulation. While stretching the blood circulation of our body increases; therefore it makes us feel very good. This is what does stretching do
  • Release of endorphins. Endorphins form a part of the natural reward system. It is a  chemical released by our central nervous system when we do some physical activities like eating, exercising, and drinking.

Final Thoughts 

I hope you have learned by now why does stretching feels good. Stretching is important so that our body becomes flexible. For instance, if you are an office goer working a 9-5 job, then I am sure you have to sit at your desk for more than seven or eight hours. 

If you do not stretch, then you can have tight hamstrings on your bag and legs, this is why you need to keep stitching every now and then and it is also one of the prime reasons why does stretching feels good.       

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Mashum Mollah

Mashum Mollah is an entrepreneur, founder and CEO at Viacon, a digital marketing agency that drive visibility, engagement, and proven results. He blogs at MashumMollah.com.

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