August, the last month of Winter! As we enjoy the comfort of the indoors again this month, we focus on committing to our daily stretch.

This is one of our key focus areas of wellbeing here at Health Breaks and one that we commit to throughout the year. 

Stretching is something easily glossed over as something insignificant in our fitness regimes. We put more focus on the meaty part of our work out, or on thinking we need to be panting or sweating to be gaining any benefit from exercise.

Stretching has many benefits to our health and wellbeing including:

• Preventing injury by increasing our range of movement at our joints.
• Loosening tense muscles from static postures, such as prolonged sitting at work.
• Releasing stress related tension that we often store in our muscles.
• Quietening down our breathing and de-cluttering our minds.
• Reducing the build up of lactic acid after exercise, helping to avoid delayed onset of soreness.
• Improvements in posture (think of chest muscles that are relaxed after a good stretch).
• Improved sport performance (longer, higher, deeper jumps, leaps, bounding etc).

We have provided two Stretch Routines below for you to make a start. For those who are members, there are hundreds of stretch routines on Health Breaks app, especially designed for you and your wellbeing. Enjoy!