As a massage therapist I feel I need to educate my clients on this as I see a re-occurrence of stiff shoulders and lower back issues all the time as well as nerve entrapment, For instance I have had two clients in the last five months with a radial nerve problem as well as the usual strains, aches and pains.

So why should you do it?

• Stretching helps you to become more flexible; you release the tension placed upon your muscles from being in one position for too long, you have that important presentation to do and sitting at the computer typing, concentrating so hard you forget the time, all of a sudden a couple of hours pass and you are stiff so you stretch out, it’s a natural thing to do, you just need to do more of it.
• Stretching and yoga can help chronic lower back pain, this is important if you have an office chair or desk that you cannot change whether that is because there are no funds to change it or it is a “hot desk”.
• It makes you feel good; after a good stretch, you feel loser and it also relaxes the muscles. Think of how you feel after yoga or Pilates.
• Stretching Improves Muscular Balance and Posture; our bodies were not made to sit at a desk or get into other positions that we put them in, such as standing all day, so a stretch realigns soft tissue and helps to achieve and maintain good posture as we work.
• Stretching Improves Muscle Coordination; you become more aware of your body.
• Stretching enhances the time it takes an impulse to travel to the brain and back to the muscle and helps opposing muscle groups work in a more coordinated fashion thereby improving performance at work.
• It also reduces fatigue; Stretching increases blood supply and nutrients to joint structures and soft tissues giving the muscles the energy to activate and enable you to live your life.

So there you are, some good reasons to stretch. You can find more information from the internet and personal trainers or contact me directly and I can help you.