Week #6 Healthy Habits Challenge – Let’s STRETCH, for Your Well-being!

Welcome to Week #6 of the 12-Week Healthy Habits Challenge!

Stretching may be one of the most overlooked forms of physical exercise and is often deprioritized.

It may be commonly known that stretching exercise can promote musculoskeletal health such as increase flexibility and range of motion (ROM), reduce risk of injuries, support rehabilitation, etc.

Do you know that stretching exercise has much broader health benefits than merely musculoskeletal health?

Here is a list of physiological health benefits of stretching exercise, as shown by scientific research:

• Improve blood vessel function and cardiovascular health, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Reduce blood pressure.*
• Reduce blood glucose levels.*
• Help to manage symptoms and conditions of fibromyalgia.
• Help to manage respiratory diseases/conditions.
• Improve sleep quality and alleviate symptoms related to sleep disorders.
• Reduce stress and stress-related health issues.

* Note: Research has found that regular stretching is more effective than brisk walking or moderate intensity aerobic exercise in reducing blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

(For more details and the relevant scientific references, please check out my previous article: Let’s Stretch – For Your Health.)

Stretching exercise is generally a more gentle and accessible form of exercise compared to more intense aerobic and resistance exercises, especially for people with certain health conditions.

Stretching can be done with little or no special equipment, and at the comfort of your own home without the need for much space.

You can even sprinkle in stretching breaks throughout the day while sitting on the chair in front of your computer.

Why not incorporate stretching exercise as part of your regular exercise routine?

See the next section for some tips.

Tips to Incorporate Stretching Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Here are some tips:

1. Target to do ~30-minute stretching exercise, 3 to 5 times a week (to reap the abovementioned health benefits, as shown by scientific research).
2. Find opportunities to sprinkle in a few stretches whenever possible throughout the day, e.g., take short (few minutes) stretching breaks while sitting (or standing) in front of your computer or work desk.
3. Include stretching as part of your regular exercise routine, e.g., perform post-workout stretching for a more extended duration.
4. Do a few gentle stretches before getting out of bed in the morning, to reduce stiffness and wake up the muscles.
5. Do a short stretching exercise before going to bed to calm the nervous system down and promote sleep.

Please check out my 25-min chair yoga video below for some simple stretching you can do or sneak in amid your busy workdays, at the convenience of your chair.

Join me for this week’s challenge and incorporate regular stretching into your daily routine.

Let’s STRETCH – for your well-being!

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Let’s Stretch – For Your Health