Why Does Stretching Release Stress

If you’ve ever wondered why does stretching release stress, the answer is simple: stretching relieves tension in the muscles. The stretching of different muscle groups can help relieve tension caused by stress. Knowing which muscles to stretch can help you to feel better when you’re being overwhelmed by problems.

Stretching relieves tension.

Tension Headaches

Odds are, you’ve experienced tension headaches at some point in your life. Tension headaches can be caused by trouble at work, problems at home, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, eyestrain, and fatigue. Whatever the reason for this problem, relief can’t come soon enough. Tension headaches start at the back of your head and then move forward. Your head may feel like it is in a vice, and it affects both sides of the head at the same time. The tightening of the neck muscles causes these headaches. Simple exercises can help you head off a tension headache before it becomes full blown. The following approaches can help you tame them.

• Meditation
• Deep breathing exercises
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Neck stretch exercise – relax the shoulders then slowly roll your head to the right, front left and back. Do this in reverse. Repeat several times and as needed.
• Shoulder roll – roll your shoulders gently forward, then reverse. Do this for several repetitions each.

Alternatively, guided imagery and hypnosis have also been shown to be helpful, in addition to exercise, for tension headache relief.

Hand and Arm Fatigue

Some people spend their entire day sitting in front of a computer or doing a manual job that requires them to sit or stand in a particular position for hours. Using your hands to do a particular skill all day long can cause muscle strain in the fingers, wrists, arms, and shoulders. The following exercises can help to relieve stress in these muscles, some in as few as 15 minutes per each exercise.

• Stress relief balls – stress balls improve manual dexterity while relieving tension in the fingers, wrist, arms, and shoulders.
• Power Web – using this tool to exercise your fingers will relieve tension in the fingers, wrist, and forearms and strengthen these areas as well.
• Finger and wrist stretches – will help relieve tension in the hands and reduce the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Entire Body Stretching

Stretching the entire body each day can help relieve stress. Following a routine of stretching exercises designed to relieve stress can help you feel more relaxed and ready to take on each day. Try the following exercises to help you feel stress free from your head to your toes.

• Lower Back Stretch – lay on your back on the floor with your legs up on a chair. Spread your arms straight out by your sides. Stay in the position until you feel the tension release in your lower back.
• Shoulder, Neck, and Back Stretch – roll up a blanket or thick towel into a log shape. Place it horizontally on the floor and lay with your shoulder blades across it. Stretch your arms out on either side and pull up your knees until your feet are flat on the floor.
• Pilates – a form of stretching exercises that focuses on the core and builds muscle groups. It focuses on stretching different muscle groups each day.
• Yoga – uses a series of stretching exercises that increase in difficulty with the experience of the practitioner. Also utilizes controlled breathing exercises, which also helps to relieve stress.

Why Does Stretching Release Stress?

The answer to “Why does stretching release stress?” is that stretching causes a loosening of the muscles. While this is important for managing stress in sports before athletes do any rigorous exercise, it is also important for people who aren’t athletes. The gentle stretching of muscles lengthens them and releases tension. Stretching can be done once a day or several times a day, in as little as five minutes per exercise. When done every day, it can help individuals increase productivity, improve stamina, and reduce the incidence of stress related illnesses.

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