You have been told for years about the importance of “Stretching the dollar.” You know that there are several benefits for being mindful of how you spend or invest your money. Proper investment today can place you in a better position for capital gain in the future. Likewise, appropriate investment in your body today can help prevent injuries in the future and improve your overall health. To achieve the best results for future physical activities, stretch the body today.
WHY STRECTH?
When you stretch you extend and lengthen your body and muscles. Stretching plays an important part in stabilizing and relaxing your muscles, whether it be performing everyday activities, physically demanding exercises or playing sports. For example, a gardener may want to focus on stretching the lower part of the body and the back 
muscles because he or she spends much of the time bending over and squatting down.
Daily stretching enables you to maintain and improve your flexibility, giving the body a better ability to move joints through a full range of motion, thus reducing stress to the body while performing daily activities.
While stretching seems pretty straight forward and uncomplicated, there are a couple of things you need to take note of. First, remember that your muscles should be warm before stretching takes place, regardless of whether you’re in a hot or cold climate. I grew up in Idaho and played professional football in Tampa, and believe me, there are no two climates that differ more than these.
Depending on the physical activity, the warm up can be as simple as taking a walk. Stretching the body before, during, and after any form of physical activity or workout will help the muscles relax and in turn minimize injuries to the body. 
Second, take your time and move slowly. One of the worst things you can do is to bounce when you stretch. The proper form is to hold a stretch for ten (10) to thirty (30) seconds while breathing deeply. Close your eyes as you try to achieve your goal and deepen the stretch with each exhale. If you cannot achieve a deeper stretch physically, try to imagine reaching your goal in your mind and your body will follow later. The body, mind and muscles will remember this achievement and perform better with each execution.
And finally…persistence. Never stretch the body more than it wants to stretch on any given day. Becoming more flexible is a process which requires much patience and persistence. Each day, each week you will progress, eventually reaching your goals and leading to a healthier you!
Devoting time to improving your health is the best investment that you can make. You can reap the benefits of stretching at any age. As a former professional football player and a trainer, I can assure you that you will benefit in the following areas:
- Increased energy
- Increased flexibility
- Increased joint range of motion
- Improved muscular coordination and recovery
- Improved balance
- Improved circulation
- Improved digestion
- Relaxed body/ muscles
- Relieved back, neck, and shoulder pain/ stress
- Decreased chances of pulled muscles, sprains, tendonitis etc.
