Stretching Preserves Your Flexibility for Life A NOT-SO-SECRET FOR YOUR LONGEVITY
Engineers and doctors can agree on one thing: Lubrication is often necessary for joints to function and move properly, including human joints. Every day, your joints create fluid that allows your arms, legs, neck, and back to move properly.
circulation, and better blood flow can lead to improved heart health and cardiovascular function. Considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the U.S., that’s a huge bonus! The benefits of stretching are best enjoyed without injury, however, and that’s why it’s important to warm yourself up before stretching. Although it used to be thought that stretching is the first step before exercise, it’s now becoming more commonly understood that light activity is better for preventing injuries from overstretching. Physical therapist David Nolan of Massachusetts General Hospital told Harvard Health, “All it takes to warm up the muscles before stretching is 5–10 minutes of light activity, such as a quick walk. You can also stretch after an aerobic or weight-training workout.” If you’re worried about joint pain, it’s smart to stretch as well as build stronger muscles to carry your body weight more effectively — especially around your spine, hips, and knees, which do most of the heavy lifting. Proper stretching and joint care can take years of effort, but as research shows, it pays off over many decades.
But did you know that by stretching and using your full range of motion once a day, you can help those joint fluids preserve your flexibility and balance?
Many people are worried about their independence later in life, and an improper sense of balance can be a big part of that. Stretching keeps muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, but the “flexible” part is more important than most people think. Without flexibility, our muscles shorten and become tight — and even with the fluids that our joints create, without regularly stretching, we’ll still be unable to use our full range of motion.
By the time you need your muscles for activity, they’re weak and unable to extend fully. This puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.
Can stretching extend my life? Not only does stretching improve your independence, but it might also help you live longer. Studies show that stretching is linked to improved
Allowing Your Mind to Wander Yields Great Things
mind to focus on the task at hand, reducing
May 30 is National Creativity Day. As Albert Einstein once said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
feelings of fear, anxiety, or stress. So, the next time you are feeling stressed out, pick up your journal, the paintbrush, a musical instrument, or a new project and take some time just for you!
When you think of creativity, a detailed painting, an abstract sketch, a well-thought out and intricate poem, or the winning science fair project from many moons ago likely comes to mind. However, being creative is anything that encourages you to change your perspective and look at things in a different light. Creativity pushes you out of your comfort zone to develop new ideas, a fresh plan, or a work of art, or even just switch up your routine a bit. Your imagination, experiences, and mind can be a wild place if you allow it! Being creative is not only fun, but it also allows you to experience new feelings, activities, and emotions while learning new things. Unleashing your creative side can also come along with a few great benefits too! Stress Relief Kicking back and allowing your mind to wander and take you to new places can be a great outlet for stress. Maybe you had a rough day at work, spent the day worrying about a problem or situation, or just feel uptight on a regular basis. Creative activity helps your
Self-Expression Sometimes, it’s difficult to convey our feelings with words. It may be tough to tell someone how we feel about them or that we are unsure of a certain situation. It may even be difficult to let our actions speak for us. Whether your approach to creativity is through music, art, drawing, building, or sculpting, it’s a way of communicating and expressing yourself. Afterwards, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off of you. Confidence Booster Sitting down and letting the creative juices flow is one way to practice your skill. The more time you invest in your favorite activity, the better you get. The confidence that you build as you become better at your craft helps to build your self-esteem. It’s always fun to challenge yourself to become better and better at an activity!
What creative outlets do you have to keep you busy, eliminate stress, and help you express yourself?
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