by Steve Marshall

Created on: November 19, 2008

Stretching is a natural enough occurrence within all life forms, and which is also always taking place within our own bodies at all times. Our bodies naturally stretch themselves even as we perform anything from walking to sleeping. Usually we are unaware of this, but if we allow our awareness to expand, we will begin to notice the ways that our body, and even our minds are always stretching, us in some way or another.

Every type of movement is a stretching movement in part. From walking to performing bodybuilding exercises. There is no movement that we can do that doesn't include some stretching as a part of it.

After this introduction to my article, we already know that stretching must be important for our bodies.

Important enough for it to naturally occur within our bodies, and also in the bodies of all other life forms. Every life form stretches itself naturally. If we watch an animal stretching, we can notice the pleasure it gets from stretching itself, after waking, or moving, or at any time when it adjusts it's current position to another position. It prepares itself, readying itself to meet the new and changed future position or activity that will now take place for it.

Humans are in the unique position of being able to consciously enhance their stretching. We can stretch ourselves more than we would normally do unconsciously.

Now the question is, is this necessarily good or bad for you?

Is moving away from following only natural functioning and naturally occurring unconscious stretching movements to ones where we increase the intensity and duration of the stretch, now consciously, really so good for us, or not?

Stretching increases blood flow to the stretched muscle, and this increase of blood into the area, helps to increase your range of motion, preventing the tightening that occurs through lack of activity, or insufficient movement.

In the past we were all naturally more active, but these days it is a good idea to put that missing activity back into our life in some way. When we become active again, we will find then that we are naturally stretching ourselves once more again then also, to now meet the extra requirements of the increased movements and activity of our bodies.

Stretching lengthens and strengthens your muscles and prepares them to cope better with the exercise and activity levels that you are supplying to your body, or requiring of your body to perform. You will find that your coordination and energy levels will all naturally then improve again

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