Highlights | That’s a bit of a stretch
- Stretching helps prevent injuries, medical conditions and the activation of your stress response.
- Try different stretches to see what works and doesn’t work for you.
- To be more flexible, take breaks, nourish your body and be curious rather than judgmental.
Whether you sit, stand or somewhere in between during the workday, it’s not unusual if, sometimes, you’re in the same position for so long that you start feeling uncomfortable.
Easing discomfort is just one of the many benefits of stretching throughout the day. If you sit a lot, getting up and stretching helps reduce your risk of developing serious medical conditions. Stretching regularly also helps prevent injuries, activates the parasympathetic or “rest and digest” part of your nervous system to keep you calmer, and preserves your flexibility, says Joshua Gellert, PT, DPT, SCS, a physical therapist and sports medicine specialist at the Sports Medicine Center at Husky Stadium.
What are the best stretches to do?
Rather than recommending specific stretches for everyone, Gellert says it’s important to try different stretches on your own and see which ones work the best for you.
For example, how does it feel to do a squat, or a hamstring stretch, or a slight back bend?
“If you choose a movement to test and retest, and you feel change within your body, that provides a nice compass that you’re moving in the right direction,” he says.
Go slow, and don’t do something if you know it’s going to cause pain.
Stretching well isn’t just about the actual stretches, either. Here are some tips from Gellert to maximize your stretch sessions.
Take breaks and take care of your body
When patients first come to see Gellert, he often asks how they’re taking care of themselves, such as how much sleep they get, if they take breaks (even brief ones) to recharge throughout the day and if they spend time outside.
“As the day goes on, you’ll get muscle tension from whatever position you’re in, so start from as stable a foundation as possible,” Gellert says.
Nourish your body
Eating food that nourishes you and staying hydrated are also extremely important to aid in flexibility and prevent tension.
“Our bodies are fundamentally made up of water, so if we’re lacking that source, there will always be a baseline tension. Think of what a dry sponge looks like versus a sponge that’s dampened,” Gellert says.
Another benefit of staying hydrated? It forces you to get up and move when nature inevitably calls.
Redefine what counts as stretching
Some stretches are as simple as standing up or sitting, correcting your posture or switching where you’re looking if you stare at screens for much of the day.
One stretch doesn’t exist in isolation, either, but in the context of everything else going on in your body at that moment.
“Maybe people only target one part of the muscle, like the hamstring, not looking at what is below like the calf, or what is above like the pelvis,” Gellert says.
Be curious rather than judgmental
Stretching throughout the day is an opportunity to listen to your body and what it needs in the moment. It’s not an opportunity to judge yourself for how you aren’t as flexible as you want to be. Try to be curious about what your body is and isn’t capable of and keep in mind that it will fluctuate each day.
“A bodily signal of tension or discomfort is an invitation to move differently or more frequently,” Gellert says.
So now that you’ve read this article, it’s time to take a stretch break. Don’t want to do it on your own? The Whole U offers fitness classes including 15-minute movement sessions.
