Boost Your Health By Stretching

Stretching is one of the most important types of exercise
for a person to do on a regular basis. This is because it
provides a number of different benefits to the body. Many
experts have been preaching about the benefits of stretching
exercises for years. Sales of DVDs teaching how to do the
stretches correctly number in the millions each year.

Knowing the benefits that stretching provides to the body
may make people more inclined to stretch on a regular basis.
The major benefit of stretching is that it improves your
body's flexibility. When you do the exercises correctly, you
strengthen the tendons attaching the muscles to the bone;
this impacts almost all the body's muscles.

There is usually a lower chance of suffering muscle sprains
and strains if you stretch often. The reason for this is
that the body's muscles get used to moving in various
directions. In addition, they become resilient enough to
handle unexpected movements, which can lead to injury of the
muscles or tendons. You can also improve body strength with
regular stretching. This is achieved by the continual
challenges placed on the muscles.

Because stretching is a low impact exercise, it is
appropriate for people of all ages to do. Stretching
exercises for seniors and people with limited mobility helps
them to regain lost strength and rebuild their muscles. The
exercises are also appropriate for young children. Many
places have classes where parents and their toddlers can
stretch together in a group setting.

The exercise that the stretches provide for the body
increases the amount of blood flow through the body. This
can improve a number of different ailments. Your body
eliminates wastes more rapidly due to improved blood flow.
It also moves oxygen from the lungs to the brain and other
organs in larger amounts. The blood also flows through the
muscles of the body faster. This increases the strength and
the health of the muscles in a dramatic way.

Stretching is among the few exercises that benefits the
whole body. Plus, the frequency or length of the exercises
doesn't really matter. Doing stretching exercises frequently
will provide a bigger benefit and faster results. But even
moderate stretching can improve the health of the person
doing the exercises and give their body more mobility.

The benefits associated with these low impact exercises are
more than enough reason for everyone to stretch on a regular
basis.

The 3 Main Categories Of Exercise

Exercise is the central ingredient of good health. It tones
the muscles, strengthens the bones, and makes the heart and
lungs work great. It increases your physical reserve
and your vitality. Exercise eases depression, assists the
function of the bowels, leads to sound sleep, and aids in
every activity of your daily life. Exercise helps prevent
heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and many more
diseases. Exercise for the body comes in three
different types:

Strengthening Exercise

Strengthening exercises are the traditional body building
exercises that build stronger muscles. These exercises can
be very helpful in improving function in a particular body
part after surgery where it's necessary to rebuild strength.
They also help to strengthen your bones, since bones react
to stress by becoming stronger; they can help strengthen
bones even at advanced ages. When using strengthening
exercises you should never use anabolic steroids or any
other drugs because you may damage your future health.
Examples of strengthening exercises are squeezing balls,
lifting weights, and doing push-ups or pull-ups.

Stretching Exercise

Stretching exercises are designed to help keep you loose.
These exercises are truly important and everyone should
be doing them everyday. Stretching can be of great
benefit, like if you have a joint that's stiff because of
arthritis or an injury. There's nothing strange about the
stretching process. Any body part that you can't completely
straighten or bend needs to be frequently and repeatedly
stretched. A good rule is at least twice daily. Over weeks
or months, you can often regain motion of that body part.
An example of a stretching exercise is like toe touching
without the bounce.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercises is the most important of the three. It's
the key to fitness and vitality. The word aerobic means
that during the exercise period, the oxygen that you breathe
in balances the oxygen that you use up. A number of good
things happen while doing this exercise. Your heart speeds
up to pump larger amounts of blood. You breathe more
frequently and more deeply to increase the oxygen transfer
from the lungs to the blood. Your body develops increased
heat and compensates by sweating to keep your temperature
normal. At the same time you build endurance which improves
the function of all the cells of the body where you become
more fit. The best form is interval training.

It's never too soon to develop the habit of lifetime
exercise. It's never too late to begin an exercise program
and to experience the dramatic benefits. If you haven't
been exercising for some time, start at a lower level of
physical activity than a more active person would until you
build yourself up.