Today's tip is about the marvelous pastime called "stretching". To stretch is a verb, which means it's something you should DO, not just think about.
Stretching increases flexibility, improves range of motion of your joints, improves circulation and blood flow to your muscles (which can speed recovery after muscle injuries) and last but not least: Stretching can relieve stress.
Stretching in itself is a good help for muscle pain of varying kinds and is often part of the treatment of fibromyalgia and arthritis.
My tip is to find some good stretches that feel right for your body, and practice them in moderation after a gentle warm up. Build your own little arsenal of specific excercises that fit your aches and pains, so you can increase circulation where you need it, without placing strain on areas that will hurt more if they are subjected to stress.
If you suffer chronic pain for extended periods and your muscles get the opportunity to gradually tighten up, this may cause for secondary pain when the muscles become too tight, so find fun opportunities to work on your flexibility... like on the couch in front of your favourite TV-show.... ooops... I mean... that is of course if you haven't already trashed your TV...
The best way to stretch is in series, just like many other exercises, find the right position and hold a 20 second mild stretch, then relax for a minute, 20 seconds stretch again, then relax half a minute, and finally a whole minute slow stretch.
Remember, muscles are highly mouldable, living, breathing tissue. They want movement and exercise!
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