Rest, recover, REPEAT

One of our most powerful wellness tools requires little more than a pair of stretchy pants and a few minutes of our time

Thread the needle

It's something we do innately when we wake up or have been sitting for too long. We reach out our arms. We arch our backs. We move our necks around. But the step that many of us could be missing from our wellness efforts is stretching.

"Everyone understands the relief that stretching can bring, but what they may not realise is that by committing to regular and focused movements, there is so much more to gain," explains former winter Olympian snowboarder Steph Prem, who is now a Pilates coach. "Not only will you decrease your risk of injury when you do exercise, you can also help lengthen contracted muscles, which is what leads to soreness."

Perhaps the best thing about stretching is that nearly everyone can participate. In starting a regular stretching practice for 5-10 minutes, it will not only help you be present in the moment, but it can improve your physical and emotional wellbeing over time. It's something we do without thinking, but when you combine deep, mindful breathing with specific movements, you calm your mind and body.

"People will be familiar with the feeling of a deep breath helping you relax more deeply into a stretch, but this deep inhaling and exhaling is also relaxing your entire nervous system, which is why the combination of these two simple things can improve everything from the quality of your sleep to your stress response and energy levels."

STRETCH ONE

JUST BREATHE

Mindful breathing allows you to cultivate inner balance and calm your senses.