Why You Should Be Stretching Daily & How To Get Started

It's probably safe to say that the most neglected aspect of your fitness routine is stretching. So many people skip this step at the beginning of their workout, and once they've finished their session quickly pack up without a cool-down (myself included).

Beyond showing off your toe-touching abilities in your fitness class, there are a range of positives that come from stretching regularly. "The reason for stretching is to help create flexibility in muscle tissue [and tendons]" explains NASM-certified personal trainer Jason Williams. "The benefit of stretching is to improve coordination, prevent injury, improve balance, improve recovery time, and release stress." 

If you skip out on this, frankly, essential step of your exercise routine, your body may pay the price down the line. "If someone has limited mobility and they are compensating through other parts of the body to achieve a motion (i.e., using low back extension to compensate for limited hip extension), they could injure themselves," explains physical therapist Sarah Kostyukovsky, P.T., DPT, OCS.

While there's really no "best" time to stretch, you do reap different benefits from lengthening your muscles at different times of the day. "Dynamic stretching is great before an activity," explains Kostyukovsky, adding that static stretching is ideal for when your muscles are already warmed up, like after your workout. 

Think of dynamic stretching as ones that incorporate movement. Leg kicks with a toe touch, bodyweight squats, and arm swings are all great options to help support your mobility and range of motion.

So you're ready to start your journey to increased flexibility. But where to begin? Simply stretching for five minutes each day can make a world of difference, and working in the basics (toe touch, quad stretch, and single-leg seated stretch) can, over time, help your muscles lengthen with more ease.

If you can't touch your toes right away, try bending your knees or working to get farther to the ground with each passing day. It can also be useful to stretch with a yoga block handy or even a resistance band to loop around your feet or legs to deepen your stretches. It may be uncomfortable at first, but that means you're on the road to progress.

If keeping your body limber is integral to feeling your best throughout life. Stretching daily helps increase flexibility (the muscle's ability to lengthen passively) and mobility (the joint's ability to lengthen actively) reduce the risk of injury, and generally keep you feeling great before, during, and after your workouts. It doesn't have to take a significant amount of extra time or effort, but putting aside a mere 5 to 10 minutes each day can make all the difference in how your body feels. Besides, who doesn't want to be able to touch their toes?