There’s good news for those of you just starting on your fitness journey. Even the simple act of stretching can have a great impact on your health. Researchers found that a single 40-minute session of static, whole-body stretching lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.
Static stretching refers to slow muscle stretches, which are usually performed in one position and held for several seconds. In our office, we use WebExercises for our patients to provide customized stretching recommendations.
What’s great about the results of this study (published in in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) is that regular stretching can help to boost cardiovascular fitness in people who are unable to exercise due to surgery or poor health. So even if you’re not quite able to full on exercise – you can still take control of your health.
This study further cements what we’ve been writing about for a while now on the blog – that although it may seem intimidating and confusing when you start on your journey towards better health, it’s not. Remember to start slow, and to keep thing simple.
If you move your body way more than you currently are your health will improve – simple as that.
