Massage Therapy St Albert | Why Stretching Is Important
Many people, once leaving their massage therapy St Albert appointment want to know, what they can do to preventing needing to come in for a massage as quickly as the last time. While there are a variety of things that anyone, everyone in fact, can do to help our bodies, stretching is one of the best and most beneficial things we can do. In fact, everyone can benefit from fitting in a few minutes of stretching a day, whether you do it first thing when you wake up or at the end of your day before bed.
Perhaps you can fit in stretches throughout your day, like waiting in line at the bank, as you take breaks at work, or if you are on hold over the phone. A few minutes a day can be more beneficial than you may realize! You don’t have to stretch every single muscle in your body either, start small, stretch something that is stiff or sore, and go from there. As you get used to it and find it beneficial, add a stretch, or certain stretches on different days. There are so many reasons to incorporate stretches into your regular routine!
Should You Stretch Before Or After Activity
Stretching IS important. For one, stretching before any physical activity can prevent injury, and therefore prevent needing massage therapy St Albert treatments in order to heal. What stretching does, is encourages blood flow to your muscles, getting them ready for physical activity. It helps loosen any tightness people may have. Without stretching, a muscle can more easily strain or tear, requiring you to get massage therapy sooner. Or, you can get your massage at the same time, but ask your therapist to focus on relaxation rather than heaping, because you aren’t as sore as you typically are.
By stretching when physical activity is over, you can help relax your muscles, that have become sore through the activity. It also helps you eliminate the accumulation of lactic acid in your body and muscles that happens through physical activity. That build up causes fatigue and soreness in your muscles. If you’ve ever felt your muscles ache during or after a workout or exercise, this is the lactic acid build up you are feeling. Stretching also encourages normal blood flow to resume in the muscles, to prevent them from becoming stiff and sore after exercise.
Massage Therapy St Albert | Many Different Stretches
Other than before and after exercise, stretching is beneficial! When leaving your massage therapy St Albert treatment, your therapist will likely give you a variety of stretches. One of the most common reasons people seek out massage therapy, is body aches and pains caused by poor posture. Your therapist may request you do active child’s pose, a standing forward fold, cat-cow, plank, downward dog, just to name a few. These will help loosen your muscles from hours of poor posture, like standing, sitting all day all day at work or bad posture from cell phone use for example.
The most common form of poor posture is hunching at the shoulders, and not lifting the chest, so shoulder and chest stretches can be invaluable as well They will likely demonstrate many of them, so you can do them properly. These stretches will release the tension in your muscles, so they can recover from poor posture. The next time you visit your massage therapy St Albert clinic, your therapist will likely see a difference if you’ve been diligent in your stretches. However, another reason why you should start stretching is because it helps you keep as well as improve your range of motion.
Increase Your Range Of Motion At Any Age
As everyone ages, joints lose their range of motion. However, regular stretching can not only prevent this, but help increase range of motion as well. Your massage therapist may suggest squats or lunges, wall angels, or gate openers. Your therapist will tell you how many reps, or how long to hold each one. Work these into your daily schedule for maximum benefit. The fifth reason why you should stretch in between your massage therapy St Albert sessions, is because it can decrease back pain. While this is closely related to poor posture, because as we hunch with our shoulders, our lower back compensates, becoming sorer over time.
But that’s not the only things that cause back pain. Tight hamstrings, quads and hip flexors an also cause back pain. Toe touches and similar stretches can relieve pain in your back, while quad stretches, like gently pulling your ankle toward your glutes relieve pain in the hip flexors, which an alleviate back pain. However, before you just look at a list of stretches online, as your therapist first. They will be familiar with your body, and what stretches are best, and how you can do them safely for your individual ability.
While it may take some time to get into the habit, it can not only help you relieve pain, but prevent it, and increase your mobility for years to come! Talk to your massage therapy St Albert clinic today!