Stretching is the unsung hero of the body’s resilience and mobility. A long day of working, sitting, driving, quarantining, the list goes on — can put a lot of strain on your body.
Stretching offers a wide range of benefits: It feels awesome, aids in both warming up and recovery from workouts, activates key muscle groups, improves balance, and reduces stress. Harvard Medical professionals have also published extensive research on stretching benefits, including improved pulmonary health. 
David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital recommends the following focus areas, “The areas critical for mobility are in your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh.”
To get the most out of your stretch-routine and keep yourself healthy as you ramp up back to speed, incorporate/maximize the following fundamentals:
- Ease into it. Stretching isn’t a race and it’s not something you can rush. It is a very “present” task with lots of counting and holding. The last thing you want to do is dive into it too fast and strain or hyperextend a muscle that’s not properly warmed up.
- Use breathwork to deepen stretches and mindful movement. Stretching is amazing but if you have sore or resistant muscles, stretching can also put a glaring spotlight on the pain. This is where your breath comes in. I love using a 4-7-8 count breath — four seconds on the inhale through your nose, hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale out of the mouth for eight seconds. Exhales are especially productive at helping deepen the stretch and facilitating an easier hold.
- Everything is connected. Just ask your lower back about this one. Our bodies are holistic epicenters of movement and muscles working together. If you’re having pain in one area, it could be because of tightness in other areas. This is a sign to slow down and put in some extra recovery time like with a flow yoga session.
- Practice with gratitude. Thank your body regularly and be gentle with yourself and your progress. Save the tough talks for the hill sprints and last mile of the Sunday long run.
Stretching has many of the answers for reconnecting with and moving the body. It’s one of my favorite mindful activities and essential for pre-and post-workouts. Take an extra five minutes today and build in a full body-thank you for stretching.
