How Stretching Can Help You Burn Fat

In today’s society, we think the way to lose weight and stay in shape is to burn as many calories as possible at the gym. Which it is true, you do have to burn calories to lose weight, but it doesn’t have to be at the gym or in one particular way. For your entire life your body should be versatile and flexible. Research has shown that just doing activities like functional fitness and yoga are enough to lose weight, stay in shape, and maintain flexibility for your longevity. In today’s article, I will be discussing different types of stretching and how it can simply help you burn fat.

How Stretching Can Help You Burn Fat

What does stretching have to do with burning fat? Just by stretching our body we begin to open ourselves up and start releasing tension in our muscles. It not only helps us to move our body in a functional way but moves our thoughts in a mindful way.

Metabolism Booster

If you start your day off with the right stretches you can help boost your metabolism. Stretches, or yoga poses such as:

- Up dog

- Down dog

- Childs pose

- Figure four stretch

Along with the right poses, the way you breathe has a lot to do with how you burn fat. Focusing on breathing in your nose and out of your mouth will help you maintain a healthy heart rate. Which in turn, will increase your metabolic rate.

Flexibility

Have you ever noticed how flexible a baby is? How low they sit in a squat position or twist in ways that make us cringe when we see them? Our bodies are designed to be that flexible for our entire lives. Now the reality of it is we will probably not be as flexible as we were as babies but pushing ourselves to be as flexible as possible will help us live a lot longer.

A study found that stretching five times per week for six weeks showed an increase in range of motion up to 2.4 degrees per week in each muscle group. (link)

Boosts Immunity & Reduces Inflammation

In a study by the Oscher Center for Integrative Medicine, a well-known research institute related to Harvard University, mice with breast cancer were stretched for 10 minutes every day to observe changes in the size of cancer cells.

As a result, animal experiments have shown that the size of cancer cells has been halved, and it is thought that stretching can also be expected to improve immunity.

Our immune system is one of the most important systems that prevents us from getting sick and preventing chronic diseases. Just with stretching a little each day you can improve your immune system and prevent illness from hindering your lifestyle. Reducing inflammation works in a similar way, by stretching our joints and muscles we are releasing the tension or “inflammation” hidden in our tight and under used muscles.

The 4 Ways to Stretch

When it comes to stretching there are so many ways to do so. But the four main types of stretching are Active Stretching, Passive Stretching, Dynamic Stretching, and PNF stretching. Each one plays a different role in how we stretch our body.

Active stretching

Active stretching is a method of improving flexibility. It involves active contracting of a muscle (the agonist) as a way to stretch an opposing muscle (the antagonist) with no external force. For example, when you want to stretch you’re quad you just contract your hamstring bringing your heel toward the back of your leg. Each stretch should feel effortless and the stretch should be painless. When preforming these stretches do each stretch for 10-15 seconds each. This is great for just daily stretching and longevity.

Passive stretching

While active stretching focuses on using one muscle group to stretch, passive stretching uses external force to provide pull for the stretch, by either a person, object or another body part. Similar to active to stretching you hold each stretch for a similar amount of time but the discomfort level is a little more. An example of passive stretching is lying on your back using a band to push your foot against to create a stretch in your hamstrings. This is great before or after exercise for better blood circulation and recovery.

Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching involves making active movements that stretch the muscles to their full range of motion. These exercises often simulate functional movements and help prime the body for more intense training. An example of this would be doing leg swings before going for a run, or walking knee hugs before doing squats. A 2012 review study suggests that dynamic stretching may particularly benefit people who do sports that involve running and jumping.

PNF stretching

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a more advanced form of flexibility training. PNF involves both stretching and contracting (activation) of the muscle group being targeted in order to achieve maximum static flexibility. An example of PNF stretching would be having a partner push against the back of your leg to stretch your hamstring for you. This is to help improve the range of motion and build better flexibility.

Where Do I Start?

Getting started with stretching is quite similar to how you start any routine. You first need to start slow, create realistic goals, & invest in the right equipment.

Start Slow: Give yourself some time to build your confidence in stretching. Start with easy and slow stretches and don’t overreach or go past the point of discomfort until you have the strength to do so. Some examples of stretches that are great for beginners are active stretches such as:

- Toe touches

- Quad stretches

- Knee hugs

- Arm circles

- Shoulder stretches

- Side stretches

Create Realistic Goals: What are realistic goals for when you are stretching?

- I want to be able to touch my toes in the next 6 weeks

- I want my hips to be a little more flexible so I can go deeper in a squat.

- I want to be able to rotate my entire arm with no pain

- I want to be more flexible in my knees

The best way to set up your goals is to understand what parts of your body need more flexibility. I suggest working on the weakest areas first. Also, having specific and clear goals will give you something to look forward to through the process. Nothing like checking something off a to do list!

Invest in the Right Equipment: The best part about stretching is all you need is you and a yoga mat. As you progress and begin to get advanced and more flexible, the more equipment you will want/need. There are a lot of options when it comes to massage therapy tools, hip flexor tools, muscle tension release tools, and much more. Some of the essentials you will need to invest in are the following:

- Foam roller (lower body mobility/ Back/ shoulder mobility)

- PSO-Rite (Hip mobility)

- Lacrosse ball (Foot mobility)

- EMS machine (electro muscular stimulator) (full body Stimulator)

Consistency Is Key!

When establishing any routine, it takes consistency and discipline to sustain it. But with starting slow, creating realistic goals, and having the right equipment you will be able to create a sustainable stretching routine for yourself. Our flexibility and elasticity of our muscles are incredibly important for our overall health and longevity. The more we can create these healthy habits the healthier we can become and sustain over time!!