Easy Stretches To Effectively Relieve Stress: Benefits & Types!

Let’s Talk Stretches To Relieve Stress: What’s Out There?

One of the great things about incorporating stretching into a daily routine has to do with ease of completion. Specifically, the little amount of equipment and space to complete a simple stretch routine. Let’s get into specifics about stretches to relieve stress!

Benefits of a Stretching Routine:

The Physical Side of Things:

Stretching has many benefits and it’s not just something for athletes or avid runners.

On the contrary, stretching is important for everyone, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. Stretching on a daily basis is vital to keep intact our mobility and ease at which we complete our everyday routines.

Often, when the discussion of stress comes into play, we think pain, tightness, or soreness of muscles.

In fact, Cleveland Clinic exclaims stress can even lead to flareups of arthritis, or fibromyalgia, due to the fact stress lowers the threshold of pain.

In addition, locations of which individuals often feel tension or pain, resides in the upper back, lower back, neck, shoulders and even head, this according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Consequently, stretching helps to reduce muscle tension, “reversing the cycle of tension, tightening and pain”, according to an article published by Colorado State University.

The same article discusses the continual act of stretching on a daily basis. Furthermore, stating that it not only contributes to “increased ROM, flexibility, and blood flow, but helps to contribute to mental health”.

The Mental Side of Things:

This brings us to the mental side of things, within the realm of stretching and stress. As many of us are aware, stress can effect us all in different ways, mentally.

For instance, anxiety, depression, even sleep problems!

One of the benefits of stretching, like mindfulness practices such as meditation, is that it cues the parasympathetic nervous system. This in turn slows the heart rate and helps to calm the mind.

Stretching Example’s:

Rotation Left & Rotation Right Stretch:

This technique is all about the tension and stretch in your neck.

Steps

1. First, start with good posture, your spine in a neutral position.
2. Secondly, focus on your breathing, begin to turn your neck to the right, as if attempting to look over your right shoulder.
3. Afterwards, come back to a neutral position (pause) and go to the left.
4. You can also focus on just rotating your head to the right first, for a few counts, and then do the same to your left side.

Additional Neck & Shoulder Stretches

Cat Yoga Asana:

This yoga asana/stretch works the back, hips and thighs. Easily one of our favorites, for stress relief.

Steps:

1. First, start on all fours (hands and knees)
2. Secondly, the focus here is going to be on inhaling and exhaling while posturing your body.
3. As you exhale, focus on pulling your abdomen up toward your back/spine, arch your back (round it off) as much as possible, then tuck you chin into your chest.
4. Start to relax different portions of you back. First the lower back, then mid, lastly the upper portion as you come out of the tuck.

See Complete Cat-Cow Asana Below:

Chest Stretch:

We’ve touched upon the neck, lower back, and hip area with some simple stretches.

Finally, we’ll discussed a “chest” stretch to help with stress management.

Steps:

1. First, begin standing straight with your spine in a neutral position.
2. Secondly, clasp your hands behind your back, bring your elbows up and back, almost like you are trying to touch them together.
3. Simultaneously, puff out your chest.
4. Once in this position, extend your arms/hands toward the floor and lean back slightly. You should feel a stretch in your chest.
5. Count for 15-30 seconds, then bring your chest back up and release your hands.

A Look at The Chest Stretch:

Final Thoughts!

We certainly hope you can incorporate some of these stretches into your daily routine for stress-relief. These are just the tip of the proverbial ice-berg.

Oftentimes, stretching is not at the forefront of our minds when it comes to both physical and mental stress benefits.

However, stretching in many forms, can certainly aide as a stress intervention.

Once again, the many benefits of stretching, include better range of motion (ROM), flexibility, posture improvement, and increasing blood flow to muscles, not to mention the mental component!

We hope some of these strategies can make your day a little better and easier to manage. Please be sure to share your stories on how simply stretching, has improved your life.

References:

• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-strange-things-stress-can-body/
• https://www.thehealthy.com/mental-health/stress/stretching-exercises-for-stress-relief/.
• https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-stretching#benefits.
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-strange-things-stress-can-body/
• https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
• https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/stress#:~:text=When%20stress%20becomes%20overwhelming%20and,complaints%20such%20as%20muscle%20tension.
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/13721413-stretches-restorative-yoga-stress-relief/.
• https://www.elitedaily.com/p/5-stretches-that-reduce-stress-are-perfect-for-winding-down-after-a-long-day-2900127.