by Irini Kotroni

Created on: April 19, 2010

In my work as a massage therapist I constantly treat tight and constricted muscles.  To my probing fingers, the muscles feel like ‘old, knotted rope’; this is not pleasant, so after every treatment my clients are always given two sets of instructions.  The first is a list of stretches to help improve and maintain muscle flexibility.  The second is to ensure they have a daily intake of 1 ¾ to 2 litres of water. The latter is to keep the muscles hydrated and prevent them from feeling like the aforementioned ‘old, knotted rope’.

With the demands of the modern world, our muscles easily become tight and constricted.  We spend more time sitting hunched over computers or behind the wheels of our cars or being crammed into commuter trains, planes and buses; all of which cause tightness and tension in our head, neck and shoulders and this is before we look at any family problems, our children’s education issues, coping with illnesses, elderly relatives and so on to name but a few.

Stretching is a wonderful, non-stressful way that, when done correctly, may help alleviate many of the tensions, aches and pains in the body.  One that can be done in the privacy of your own home, at your desk, commuting, in a traffic jam, on a plane, on a beach, in fact, anywhere.

It is completely under estimated. Watch a cat or dog after they awaken, they stretch.  Most human beings don’t; instead we crawl out of bed, into the shower, into our clothes, grab a bite to eat and sit in our cars or in our commuter transport ready to start a day of ‘sitting’ or ‘hunching’. Each one of us has different aches and pains, so let us look at how stretching can help kick start our muscles into working more efficiently. 

WHAT DOES STRETCHING ACHIEVE?

1        Reduces tension to muscles and helps promote feeling of relaxation

2        Improves posture and muscle tone

3        It helps increase the range and co-ordination of movement

4        Helps maintain existing flexibility

5        Helps in preventing stiffness and cramping of muscles

6        Helps prevent muscle strain injuries as a stretched muscle works more efficiently than a stiff, un-stretched muscle

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