Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living Issue 3 | Page 10

Improving
your muscle
health
A simple, effective way to improve
cardiovascular function, reduce back pain
and prevent conditions such as carpal tunnel
syndrome, is to stretch. As you age you will
most likely experience a decline in flexibility,
stability and balance. By getting stiff muscles
to stretch and move properly, you can prevent
injury and strengthen them helping to slow
down the rate of bone and muscle loss.
Stretch like a cat when you wake up
Making stretching a habit, especially in the mornings,
will help to eliminate aches and pains in the muscles and
joints. Morning stiffness and pain often occur because
there is an increase of fluid in the joints and spinal discs
overnight while your body lies horizontal. For the best
‘get up and go’ feeling, you actually need to pause and
spend about 10 minutes to gently stretch and warm up
the body to alleviate joint discomfort and increase blood
flow.
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Move your back, neck and shoulders
Musculoskeletal disorders, mainly lower back pain
followed by pain in the neck and shoulders, are among
the most prevalent long-term illnesses and account
for more pain and absenteeism from work than any
other medical condition. The Journal of the American
Association and Harvard University believe an alternative
effective treatment for chronic pain, besides painkillers,
is movement including stretching the muscles and
physiotherapy for the body.
Kiss computer posture goodbye
People who sit in front of a computer for extended
periods develop poor posture as a result of overstretched
back muscles and tight chest muscles. By introducing
stretching either in the morning or during the day, these
muscles can be effectively opened and loosened up.
Know Ying and Yan of muscles
Muscles work in pairs, while the one flexes the other
relaxes. When you lift something up, you use the biceps
muscle, running from the inside of your elbow to the
shoulder, which contracts to raise up your hand, whereas
the triceps, which is the muscle at the back of your arm,
relaxes and lengthens. Flexing the opposite muscle in
a stretch gives you a better result, for example, when
stretching your lower back, flex your abs.