Page 25 - The Springs Magazine July Issue 2018

The Springs • July 2018 • 25

Nothing Like a Good Stretch

By Alison Crane
Have you ever watched a sleeping cat suddenly stand up, stretch and then
lay back down to sleep? Cats have capitalized on the benefits of stretching. We can
benefit from incorporating stretching into our routine, too.
Every morning I stretch before getting up. Taking a moment to stretch
helps me move easier and prevents catches in the muscles or feet that can cause a
tumble. My husband has plantar fasciitis; stretching his feet before rising impacts
how he walks for the rest of the day.
Stretching increases flexibility and improves range of motion. For someone
who has poor circulation (like me), stretching increases blood flow to the muscles,
which can prevent injury and speed recovery. Stressed? Stretching relaxes those
tense muscles.
Ready to stretch? There is a right way and wrong way to stretch. When
stretching you need to be relaxed with your focus on the muscles being stretched.
You should feel a stretch but not pain. Your muscles pushed too far or bounced can
tear. Slow, relaxed movements allow you control and give you the benefit without
risking damage.
Five to ten minutes of warm-ups before a workout can actually increase
how long you are able to exercise. Warming up increases the temperature of muscles
by increasing blood flow, which makes the muscles more limber. Several minutes
of general movement (swinging the arms or walking around) or performing the
exercise at a slow pace will work.
Anyone can stretch. Regardless of age, flexibility or fitness level, we can
stretch any time, any place. There really is nothing like a good stretch!
If you would like more information on stretching and easy exercises that
improve your physical fitness, contact the Garland County Cooperative Extension
Service (GCCES) for our fact sheets and our low cost exercise program, Extension
Get Fit. Visit www.uaex.edu/counties/garland, Facebook @ Garland EGF or UAEX
Garland County Family & Consumer Science, or call 501-623-6841.
Alison Crane is a Family and Consumer Science Agent with the GCCES.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible
persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative
Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Happiness:

What Causes It?

By Michelle Crandell
What causes happiness? Can we create happiness and if so, how? For over
thirty years, researchers have been testing people and running experiments with
people, searching for answers to these questions. The results are coming in and it is
good news. There really are some ways of thinking and behaving a person can use
if they want to experience more happiness in life.
1. CULTIVATE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE. Yup. Keep a
gratitude journal. Share your gratitude with others. Give yourself a chance to re-
experience what you are grateful for. “It’s not happiness that makes us grateful. It’s
gratefulness that makes us happy.” (David Stendl-Rast)
2. PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. No kidding. The
research is definitive on this one. Take twenty dollars. Spend it on yourself. Next,
take twenty dollars. Spend it on someone else.
Which makes you happier? Try it yourself. My personal favorite? Give the
cashier at Kroger ten dollars to help pay for the purchases of the person behind me
in line. Walk away.
3. BE A GOOD INFLUENCE. Take back your personal power. Notice how
you can influence situations and people in a positive way by being friendly, curious,
funny or patient. Remember, you are responsible for the energy you bring into the room.
4. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR BODY. We only get one and it’s
guaranteed to wear out the longer we live. Like any vehicle, good maintenance and
repair lead to smoother running and longer life. Most Americans need to sleep more
(7 to 10 hours/day) and move around more (everything counts). Improve these two
behaviors and your sense of wellbeing will usually improve, too.
Since this is such a meaningful topic, I will write more about it next month.
The bottom line is we do not have to search for happiness, we can create it for
ourselves.