Although stretching is a simple action, it has undeniable benefits to health. In this issue, life times specially invited Qu Liuxin, director of the Department of traditional Chinese medicine orthopedics and traumatology of CUHK affiliated to Southeast University, to explain the health benefits, action essentials and precautions of stretching.
Many people think that stretching is a manifestation of laziness, but in Qu Liuxin’s view, stretching correctly is good for the body. When stretching, the chest organs of the human body can squeeze the heart and lungs, which is conducive to the full movement of the heart and allows more oxygen to supply various tissues and organs. At the same time, due to the activity of the upper body, more oxygen-containing blood can be supplied to the brain, making people feel awake and comfortable. Therefore, regular stretching and active limbs can help relieve fatigue.
Office workers often sit for an hour or two. When the body is in a posture for a long time, a lot of blood will accumulate in the veins and blood vessels of muscle tissue. At this time, stretching will cause most of the muscles to relax and contract. A lot of accumulated blood will be driven back to the heart, taking away some wastes in the muscles, thus eliminating fatigue.
There are many postures for stretching, such as lying down, sitting, standing up and stretching. Qu Liuxin pointed out that for people who have been sitting for a long time, standing up and stretching have a better effect. Because sitting to stretch, the posture is not easy to relax and the muscles are tense.
When stretching, you should stretch your body as far as possible, straighten your limbs and exert all your muscles. Inhale as much as possible while stretching; When relaxing, the muscles of the whole body should relax and exhale as much as possible, so that the effect of exercise will be better. Standing up and stretching can make the waist muscles active. This kind of stretching and contracting exercise can exercise the waist muscles and prevent the spine from bending forward to form a hunchback. It is especially suitable for the sedentary people.
Qu Liuxin introduced that in clinical practice, we often encounter cases of lumbar back injury or sprain caused by improper stretching. Stretching should not be too violent or too fast. It should be done slowly and separately, supplemented by deep breathing. Otherwise, the lumbar vertebrae are easy to be injured, especially those who have lumbar disc herniation themselves. After sitting for a long time, they suddenly stretch and squeeze the lumbar vertebrae backward, which will stimulate nerve roots or pathological tissues and aggravate the disease. Therefore, for such people, special attention should be paid to stretching.
Leave a Reply