The Power of Stretching

This is the 5th article in my Beautiful Change Challenge series. Check out the previous ones:

Beautiful Change: Diet
Beautiful Change: Beauty Routine
Beautiful Change: Your Home
Beautiful Change: Mind & Spirit

This week is about beautiful change for your body. When we think about getting in shape, images of intense, hardcore sweaty workouts often come to mind. Those are great, but getting started with beautiful change doesn’t have to mean committing to a new bootcamp workout. In fact, one of the most beautiful things you can do for your body is stretching.

Stretching doesn’t take much time or effort, and can be a great habit to help you get more in touch with how each part of your body is feeling.

Stretching your body regularly can help to release tension and stress. When you’re feeling extra stressed out or emotional, certain parts of your body tense up. Stretching can relieve that pressure and can give you a sense of calm.

Stretching also improves your blood flow and circulation, which can help heal muscle injuries, increase nutrients to the muscles and help eliminate toxins.

Stretching will help you to be more flexible physically, which in turn can help you be more flexible in other areas of your life.

Examples of great stretches to incorporate into your day:

• Forward bend — lean over and touch your toes
• Heart-opening arm stretch – clasp your hands together behind your back and pull your shoulders back
• Side bends – lean over from side to side to loosen up the sides of your body
• Leg stretches – sit on the ground and alternate stretching each leg, bringing your hand to touch each foot

You can add stretching to your life easily, wherever you are, to alleviate stress and tension on the spot. Whether you do a few minutes of your favorite yoga poses, lean over to touch your toes, or simply stretch out your arms a few times throughout the day, you’re benefiting your body in a beautiful way.

Challenge yourself to add stretching to your life!

 

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®