In our last
blog we showed you a video from the City of Maplewood that discussed some
of the things that the city has done to improve employee safety. As part of
their wellness program Maplewood has also created a video to walk you through
some stretches that can help reduce muscle soreness and your risk of injury.
Stretching has been shown to greatly reduce the occurrence
of sprain and strain injuries by lengthening the muscles making them less prone
to trauma and tears. This means you are less likely to suffer an injury if you
accidently overextend your muscles while performing a task, or if you were to
slip on ice and fall into an awkward position. Your body would be better
prepared to absorb the shock and protect itself.
Another benefit of stretching is that it helps muscles and
tendons recover from job fatigue more quickly by reducing muscle tension and
soreness. Anecdotally, individuals who take part in a stretching program report
being less sore at the end of the work day.
And lastly, stretching can also help you warm-up your
muscles and prepare them for work. Muscles that haven’t been appropriately
prepared for a strenuous activity have an increased risk of injury.
So give stretching a chance, your body will thank you for
it!
