As technology has advanced and made our lives easier, we as humans have become less physically active (think less foraging and more sitting at a desk). Unfortunately, this new normal has not come without a cost—an expensive one at that. It's a major trade-off with our health.

Despite these advancements that were designed to give us more time in our day, finding time for all of the wellness-related habits you’ve been told to incorporate into your life can be difficult – even overwhelming at times. Even when we vow to make healthier decisions and exercise more, healthy habits can be hard to maintain. But did you know that there's one underrated habit that is easy, can make you feel better, and doesn't take much time at all? That habit is stretching.

Stretching? Yes, you read that right. Stretching helps you relax through the release of endorphins, the "feel good" chemicals in your brain. It also helps improve muscle tone and blood circulation, which naturally reduces stress levels and helps you feel more energized. Your body will thank you when you take a few minutes to stretch things out.
 

IS STRETCHING AN EXERCISE?

In a world of treadmills and marathons, many people consider stretching to be a warm-up to real exercise. But this is not true! Stretching, by itself, is a form of exercise. In fact, it is one of the most important parts of any workout regimen.

While stretching won’t help you lose weight or build muscle, it can help you avoid injury and improve your workout performance. It also increases your range of motion, supporting balance and flexibility after a day at work – and can have the added benefit of calming your mind too. Stretching also reduces muscle soreness post-workout, by increasing blood flow to your muscles to help them heal more quickly.

 Even if you're not exercising, stretching everyday can help you feel better in your day-to-day life. 
 

BENEFITS OF STRETCHING

Stretching is a very underrated habit and, when performed on a regular basis, can enhance the quality of life in many ways:

1. It helps prevent injury.  Stretching decreases the risk of back pain, muscle pain, and strain.
2. It improves flexibility. Stretching increases the range of motion in your joints and muscles.
3. It reduces tension. Stretching relaxes muscles that are prone to spasms, relieving anxiety and stress.
4. It boosts your energy. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles, which helps to reduce fatigue and increase energy levels.
5. It improves performance. Stretching prepares your body for activity before you exercise or play sports, which helps you perform better with less risk of injury.
6. It supports magnesium levels. Stretching boosts magnesium levels in your muscles, making them more relaxed and flexible.
 

INCORPORATING STRETCHING INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE: THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF STRETCHING
 

Before you jump up and start stretching, there are some important things to note. Like how and when should you stretch?

Before your workout...

Until recently, experts recommended stretching prior to any movement to “warm-up” your muscles. But newer research shows this actually isn’t the case. Think about it this way, your muscles are similar to rubber elastics and, just as you wouldn't yank on a frozen elastic until it's warmed up and pliable, you shouldn't stretch your muscles until they are completely warmed up.

But you shouldn't just do any type of stretch, either. Static stretching (holding a stretching position for 30–60 seconds without moving) before workouts, can actually weaken your muscles. Especially because after a prolonged period of muscle rest (e.g., being in a sedentary position for hours), the muscles are shortened and need to be warmed up by light physical activity. Therefore, dynamic stretching (a movement-based type of stretching) is recommended before exercise in place of static stretching. 

Warming up and then using your muscles gradually and properly during exercise is the best way to dynamically stretch and maintain optimum muscle tone and tendon strength. This helps prevent joint pain or tendon inflammation around your joints. Light physical activities gradually stretch the muscle from its resting position into a more easily elongated position. Stretching without light exercise can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness, which can occur when you suddenly start stretching a muscle beyond its usual capacity without first warming up the muscles. A great option is 5 to 10 minutes of walking or jogging to prepare your muscles for dynamic stretching and more intense movement.

If you already have muscle soreness or pain, avoid alcohol for 3–10 days to ensure rapid healing and incorporate supplemental magnesium, B-complex, and other essential minerals, alongside dynamic stretching, to repair muscles before the injury becomes chronic.

After your workout...

You should stretch after your workout too, because warming down your muscles is just as important. You should only stretch hard after your main training when your muscles are fully warmed up. And this is where static stretching is effective. 

Static stretching after exercise helps to reduce muscle soreness, boosts flexibility, reduces the risk of injury, and can even improve performance for your next workout. But over-stretching in static positions after a workout isn't the best either. So, don't overdo it. 

Here are some final tips to make the most of your post-workout stretching:

1. Find shortcuts by stretching several muscles groups at once, such as cat-cow which helps stretch your upper and lower back muscles. 
2. Focus on the muscles you used while you were exercising. These require the most attention and will be the most warmed up. 
3. Don’t stretch to the point of pain. Stretching should be mildly uncomfortable, but never painful. 
4. Breathe. Not only will it help relieve tension, it will also help improve the quality of your stretch by breathing into the area being stretched.
5. Pay attention to your posture by keeping your neck and spine in line, core engaged, and shoulders aligned with your hips. 
6. Ease into it. If you haven’t stretch in a while, take your time and build up to longer and more repetitive stretching.
 

STRETCHING, NUTRITION, AND FITNESS

Your muscles will function and stretch better when they are in the proper biochemical state. Nutrition is essential to achieve and maintain that optimal state. To prevent your muscles from tightening and to also ensure rapid restoration of muscle function, you need adequate supplemental magnesium, vitamin D, B-complex, and other essential minerals.

While there's no "magic bullet" for fitness, magnesium comes close. This is because magnesium is required to generate the electrical forces that power and relax the brain and muscles. However, magnesium is deficient in most foods due to commercial fertilizer use and is further depleted by stress and mental work. Most magnesium supplements on the market are in the wrong forms and will not optimally relax muscles. But not anymore. 

Since 1989, Honed has tested, compounded, and experimented with premium magnesium compounds for athletic and mental performance. Our proprietary formula of magnesium aspartate, orotate, and malate provides the most advanced supplemental magnesium. This formulation boosts and replenishes specific metabolic pathways depleted by mental and physical stress and are blended with other minerals like manganese, chromium, and vanadium to enhance the delivery of magnesium to your cells.

Not only will your muscles benefit from magnesium, but your mental performance, sleep, and recovery will also greatly benefit. We can help you with a specific blend of magnesium based on your metabolic testing so that your stretching will be easy and fun.