You need to stretch.

The importance of stretching is something that all animals know well. Ever noticed how cats or dogs do that cute little stretch routine every time they get up from sleeping or taking a nap? It’s so cute to watch, but it is also something that is ingrained deep inside their brains from birth.

Animals instinctively know that stretching is something that is important for their bodies. 

WHY IS THAT?
Because stretching loosens your muscles that contracts while you sleep, rest or when your body stays idle. While cats constantly stretch for the sole purposes of keeping their muscles limber and ready for chasing prey or running away from predators, that sort of basic instinct is lost on us humans.

Why is it that humans don’t do the same? Why do we sit for hours at school and get stiff only to go home and ball up in font of the computer for hours only to go to sleep at night to wake up and start the whole process again? It’s no wonder that by the time we are 70 we don’t even have a fraction of the flexibility we once had. Or when we get chased by someone or something unexpectedly, we get bad muscle cramps when the whole ordeal is over.





WHY IS FLEXIBILITY IMPORTANT?
Just because being flexible doesn’t help you lose weight or build muscle, doesn’t mean it isn’t a huge part of our health and wellbeing. It helps you from hurting your muscles in case of any sudden need to make any quick movements (e.g. getting chased by a robber or a dog).

Stretching also ensures muscle health. I've also talked about how stretching when you wake up is good. When you stretch at work, you release stress from your muscles, which relaxes both your body and your mind. You benefit more from any sort of stretching than none at all. It goes without saying that stretching also helps you have better sex. ;)


DOES THIS MEAN I NEED TO DO YOGA?
Not necessarily. But if you can, go for it. There are a lot more benefits to yoga than just muscle stretching. If you don't dig yoga or would rather die than to be seen wearing yoga pants, then do some light stretching. Every time you a still for an extended period of time, take a few minutes out of your day and stretch out again.

Don’t let flexibility be the weakness in your fitness armor.