Flexibility and Beyond: How Stretching Supports Your Overall Well-being

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I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

First time reading? Let’s get you in the club.

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When I was a kid, I had Stretch Armstrong. You could stretch his arms and legs up to four feet, and he would return to normal. It was all fun and games until he got punctured in the toy closet, leading to a mess of gooey corn syrup everywhere.

Kids, don’t try this at home.

I’ve always been pretty flexible. When I demonstrated the move above to my chiropractor, he remarked that adults aren’t supposed to be able to move that way. Unfortunately, years of sitting at a computer all day took away my superpower, and I wanted it back. Longtime readers might remember that I had weekly visits to a place called StretchLab, which offers assistive stretching. The idea may sound odd, but if you don’t know how to stretch correctly, a professional can help. They can also stretch you in ways you can’t do by yourself.

You might be wondering what’s so great about stretching. There are quite a few benefits.

Benefits of stretching

• Increases range of motion - Research shows static and dynamic stretching may help extend the range of motion.¹

• Expands flexibility - Stretching helps improve flexibility, which allows you to move more comfortably and perform everyday tasks more easily.