The health benefits & importance of stretching: O’Malley Fitness

Our O’Malley Fitness Geelong personal trainers are committed to ensuring client health, whilst working with them to achieve the best fitness results possible.

A big part of maintaining muscle health, avoiding injuries, and often healing muscle-related injuries, is through stretching. At our Geelong gym, we emphasise the importance of stretching by making sure that all of our sessions, whether it be group fitness, boxing, running group, or one-on-one PT, finishes with a good quality stretch.

Our personal trainer Victoria, who is currently undertaking her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Science with an Honours in Nutrition at Deakin University, provided her insight into the importance of stretching. Check out Victoria’s top five benefits of stretching below:

1. Decreases the risk of injury

Stretching decreases the risk of injury because it loosens muscles. Muscles that are free of stiffness have a decreased resistance to certain movements and exercises involved in everyday workouts, i.e. weightlifting, running, rowing, etc.

2. Helps to improve posture

Conducting slow movements to stretch out the chest, shoulders, and back can help to align the spine correctly, and over time, can re-correct habitually bad posture.

3. Relieves stress

In our busy everyday lives, it can be hard to slow down, breathe, and pay attention to our bodies. Noticing your breathing when stretching, breathing deeply, and holding poses can allow you to centre yourself. This releases tension in the body, helping us to feel relaxed and calm, particularly after a workout. Back stretches like the Child’s Pose are particularly good to slow down and relieve stress.

4. Improves balance & blood circulation

Stretching can contribute to improving or maintaining good balance, particularly for the elderly. Stretching also helps to improve blood circulation throughout the body which will remove metabolic by-products, such as lactic acid, relieving the body from post-exercise soreness.