New research shows a few months of passive stretching can help improve blood flow and potentially ward off heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Researchers at University of Milan examined the blood flow in 39 healthy participants over the course of 12 weeks, with one group asked to perform leg stretches five times a week.
A substantial increase in blood flow was measured in the participants who had been stretching – not just in their legs but in their upper arms as well.
The paper’s authors say this could have real benefits for people with diseases characterised by changes in blood flow control like heart disease and diabetes.
“This new application of stretching is especially relevant in the current pandemic period of increased confinement to our homes, where the possibility of performing beneficial training to improve and prevent heart disease, stroke and other conditions is limited,” said Emiliano Ce, one of the paper’s authors.
You don’t have to be a yogi of course, but it’s proof that a bit of stretching every now and then never goes astray!
