I’m always the first to call out researchers who stretch the truth. And you won’t find me bending over backward to push their twisted ideas either.
When it comes to science – when it comes to your health – I want to keep it straight.
Except for today.
No, I’m NOT losing it. It’s because this new research really IS a stretch. Because it reveals how ordinary at-home stretching exercises can have big benefits for your health.
And you don’t have to bend the truth to see how it can protect your heart.
After all, it’s just basic biology. A little movement is good for you. And I’ve explained many times before it’s not just strict heavy exercise that delivers benefits.
Even the little things can have a big impact. Like stretching.
STRETCHING for better vascular health
It’s a theory that’s time has come.
Many experts have long believed that just getting up and bending over, twisting around, and doing a few other basic movements can boost circulation. And many docs ALREADY recommend stretching to improve overall blood vessel health.
Now, a new study confirms they were right all along. The latest research reveals what happens inside the body when you try out what’s called passive stretching.
These are stretches that require some kind of minor force while you hold in place. Sometimes, it’s a partner who holds, for example, a leg in place while you push back. But more often, it’s pushing up against a wall, floor, door, or, my favorite option, a resistance band.
Just a little passive stretching five days a week led to measurable changes over three months. Volunteers ended up with increased blood flow and dilation, along with less artery stiffness than folks who did no stretching at all.
In other words, they led to better overall circulation, which can lower heart risks across the board.
Reduce your heart risks with a S-T-R-E-T-C-H
Those small circulation changes can make a BIG difference when it comes to your chronic disease risk.
In fact, it’s not a stretch to say the study suggests these ordinary exercises, which ANYONE can try at home, could help reduce your risk for…
- heart disease
- heart attack
- stroke
- diabetes
- and MORE
The next step, researchers say, is a study that repeats these kinds of stretching exercises in people who already have vascular disease.
I’ll be sure to tell you about those results when they’re in. But in the meantime, why wait to give stretching a try?
Simple stretching exercises have already been shown to improve blood flow, enhance physical and mental health, reduce blood pressure, and cut the overall risk of serious heart problems.
And if I’m being honest, stretching just FEELS great, too. It helps ease away those everyday aches and pains and leaves you feeling more flexible.
Anytime you see a study about the supposed benefits of yoga, you can bet that the real reason is that these folks are regularly up and stretching.
But you don’t need to join a yoga class, or a stretching program, to enjoy these and other benefits.
Search Google for “passive stretching” for some simple exercises you can do on your own. You can also find them on YouTube so you can stretch along to the video to make sure you’re doing it right. Just be sure to give your doc a call before you get started to get his thumbs up.
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