3 Ways to Stretch Yourself Starting TODAY
The last few days, I’ve been dealing with soreness and tightness in my right leg. I think I may have overdone it a bit on a quick run with my daughter on Sunday. As the soreness begins to subside, I am reminded that I need to keep stretching. Stretching is essential to maintaining flexibility and to recovering more quickly following strenuous activity.
A friend from work heard about my tightness, and he send me over some stretching exercises he has been using for the past year. The exercises can be found on the Runner’s World website by clicking here.
I did these exercises for the first time yesterday morning for the first time following my run. By the evening, I could definitely tell there was a difference. My leg wasn’t as tight as it had been the day before.
It makes me chuckle to realize I’ve been slacking on my stretching following my runs. After all, shouldn’t a guy named Stretch be more diligent in his post run stretching?
Stretching is important for all of us. Obviously, we need to stretch to maintain our flexibility. We also need to stretch ourselves to keep growing and developing into the people we are called to be. With this in mind, here are some suggestions for ways you can stretch yourself this week:
3 Ways to Stretch Yourself Starting TODAY
- STRETCH yourself by reading a book or listening to a podcast. You can stretch your mind by intentionally filling it with good things. There are many great books, blogs, and podcasts worth checking out. I’m currently reading a book called Buy This Land
about Chinese-American who found his calling in Guatemala. What are you reading? How are you stretching your mind?
- STRETCH yourself by trying something new. If you are like me, it’s easy to fall into the trap of routine. It doesn’t have to be skydiving, but it could be something else that stretches you outside your comfort zone. As I’ve mentioned recently, I joined Toastmasters in an effort to work on my public speaking and leadership. This is a new adventure, and it’s definitely stretching me. What is something new you are doing in your life? How is this stretching you?
- STRETCH yourself by serving someone else. We get self-focused. It’s important to get outside your box and to help others. You don’t have to go to Guatemala to serve someone. It could start in your office, your school, your neighborhood, or even your home. Someone needs a helping hand or a kind word, and you have the opportunity to be the helping hand or kind word for this person. What is one way you can serve someone else today? How do you think serving others could stretch you?
This morning, I’ll be out running again. When I finish my run, I’ll stretch again. When this is over, I’ll be finding ways to keep stretching myself throughout the day. How about you?