The Joy of S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G: Daily Stretching Benefits for Your Body and Mind

September 29, 2025

Editor's Note: Dr. Connie Stapleton will be hosting a Breaking the Cycle of Addiction Workshop and Gentle Yoga fitness session at our OH2025 National Conference this October 17-18! Check out her speaker page!

The daily stretching benefits I’ve experienced have truly surprised me and have become one of the most valuable parts of my wellness routine.

I have a friend I see once a year, if I’m lucky. She’s one of those people with whom I instantly clicked. I wish we didn’t live on opposite sides of the country! At some point during the time we spend together, she inevitably says to me, “Wow! You have really good posture!” That’s a comment I hear fairly regularly, actually. I’m both grateful and proud when people notice and compliment me on my posture. Having good posture is not something I intentionally set out to do. It’s an awesome benefit of all the stretching of my muscles I do on a nearly daily basis.

Stretching is one of the great feel-good parts of my day. Most of the time I get my stretching done during a yoga session, but if the day doesn’t allow for a full yoga class, I take a few minutes between therapy sessions (I’m a psychologist) to stand up and do a quick “twist and shout.” Okay, I don’t usually shout, but hey—sometimes therapy sessions are intense, and a quick little out-loud shout helps me clear my mind for the next session! The few minutes I take to stretch revitalize my body and my mind! 

There are times when I literally do not have a full 60 seconds between sessions, so I’ll literally raise both arms in the air and bend slowly from side to side while still seated. There are also great twisting stretches and amazing folding stretches I do while still in my chair. 

Stretching as a Smart Starting Point After Weight Loss

After significant weight loss, people often have increased energy and look forward to being able to be more physically active. For those who have been immobile or barely mobile for some time, stretching is a great and wise way to get your body back in the game of movement and will increase the likelihood that you work your way to increased activity in a healthy manner. 

Daily Stretching Benefits - Why Experts Recommend Stretching

Why do fitness and medical experts sing such high praises in favor of stretching on a regular basis? Stretching has remarkable benefits for both your body and your mind. Here are six ways stretching can help improve your life:

1. Stretching can help you become more mobile and protect that mobility as you age, and therefore, increase the likelihood of your remaining independent. 
2. Flexibility improves by stretching your muscles on a regular basis. Flexibility is important to help maintain a range of motion in your joints, allowing you to bend over and pick something up off the floor without toppling over and without “pulling a muscle,” resulting in pain and/or damage. Flexibility lets us reach up over our head and grab something from the top shelf without pain. Flexibility helps us prevent injury to our muscles.
3. Regular stretching can heal, reduce, or prevent back pain, something nearly every one of us deals with at some point! Daily stretching benefits your back by strengthening those back muscles and reducing the risk of muscle strain. Stretching increases both your range of motion and the blood flow to your muscles and your overall circulation. Tight muscles can lead to a decrease in your range of motion and a greater chance of injury. When this happens, you increase the likelihood of straining the muscles in your back.
4. Your posture improves with stretching. One reason to stretch the muscles on both sides of your body equally is to prevent muscle imbalances, which are common and can lead to poor posture.  
5. Stretching calms your mind. Most stretches are done using slow movements. Static stretches are those that you hold for several seconds and help to slow your entire system, resulting in a calmer mind, a more relaxed demeanor, and a better outlook. During times of stress, it’s likely that your muscles tense up. Releasing the physical tension through stretching also results in decreased stress in your mind.
6. Stretching the neck, shoulders, and back (areas in which we hold a lot of tension/stress) can help decrease tension headaches. Headaches are no fun and interfere in most areas of daily life. Learn how to use stretching to reduce tension, stress, and maybe even tension headaches.

Understanding the Two Main Types of Stretching

There are several forms of stretching, but the most common are dynamic stretching and static stretching.

• Dynamic stretches are best to do before you exercise. These stretches are active movements that prepare your muscles for more active forms of exercise. Dynamic stretches are not held for any length of time, and you do NOT want to bounce while doing these stretches, as bouncing can cause injuries. 
• Static stretches are beneficial after exercise. These stretches involve comfortably holding a stretch, usually for 10 to 30 seconds. 

A regular stretching routine, preferably daily, is particularly important for areas of the body most essential for mobility, including your hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, and quadriceps. Stress relief and stress headaches are reduced by stretching your neck, shoulders, and lower back.

Daily Stretching Benefits: Start Slow & Stay Safe

Any time you start a new activity, it’s wise to take it easy as your body adjusts. Although it may be tempting to argue, “It’s just stretching.” Ask those who have strained a muscle by overstretching it and having part of it tear. It can take up to two weeks for a pulled muscle to heal. No one wants to take two steps (or two weeks) backward!

Naturally, if you have any recent or ongoing injuries, talk with a doctor, a physical therapist, and/or a kinesiologist. Do whatever is safe for your body. Keep in mind that over time, you will have greater flexibility and will be able to stretch further and more easily. You will likely feel tension and sensation when stretching, but if you feel pain, then ease off or stop the stretch. 

Stretching Help Is Out There (and Sometimes Free!)

If you’re concerned about starting a stretching practice by yourself, there are now “trained flexologists” or “stretchologists” who can safely assist you.

Yep! “Assisted stretching” is a real thing, and stretching studios are springing up all over the country! For those of you who love to be pampered, give it a try!

It makes sense that your mind and body would both relax during a stretching session by a trained stretchologist! For those who prefer to keep your pennies in your own pockets, there are plenty of free videos on social media. Do a quick search for “stretches for beginners!”

Exercise videos at home are definitely my jam, but you do you! Just DO some stretching as many times a week as possible. Always slowly, always safely!

Visualize yourself being all bendy and flexible, improving your body and mind by adding a regular stretching routine to your day… Or would that be “stretching your imagination…” (see what I did there)?

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FAQs About Daily Stretching Benefits

Sources:

• The Importance of Stretching – Harvard Health
• Nine Benefits of Stretching – Healthline
• Daily Stretching Benefits – Nike
• What Happens to Your Body When You Stretch – Verywell Fit
• Stretch Your Body, Stretch Your Mind – Psychology Today

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Connie Stapleton, PhD is a licensed psychologist, author, speaker and creator of BariAfercare, a comprehensive online weight loss maintenance program. Dr. Stapleton is the author of three books, is a national and international speaker, and appears as the bariatric psychologist on three national television programs.  Read more articles by Connie Stapleton!

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