Why stretch your dog at home? The benefits of stretching

Transcript:

In this video we are going to look at why you should stretch your dog at home and what the benefits of stretching are.

By following this course you are letting us help you to support your dog and helping them to stay happy and healthy.

What are the benefits of stretching?

Stretching can help to improve your dog's range of motion and help stop their movements being restricted especially when we are looking at joints such as the shoulder and hip where the mobility is really important and muscular tightness can often limit their range of movement in these joints.

Stretching can improve athletic performance.

When included as part of a well-rounded fitness routine, regular flexibility training, which includes stretching, can help enhance agility, power, speed and muscular strength. There are some promising findings in research that suggest that stretching your dog may help to reduce the risk for injury. 

Stretching can help to improve blood flow and circulation.

Regular flexibility training of which stretching plays a role can help to improve blood flow and circulation, thereby allowing for the enhanced transportation of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body.

Stretching can help to reduce wear and tear on joints.

When muscles become chronically tight, the opposing muscles become weakened, which creates unnecessary wear and tear on a dog's joints. Regular stretching can help ensure balance in the muscles so that the joint is able to move freely and efficiently in all directions, which allow for optimal movement and less stress on the body.

Stretching can help to improve your dog's muscular function. Poor posture, repetitive movement patterns, improper body mechanics, as well as spending long periods of time sedentary, can lead to your dog's muscles becoming chronically tight. This can make your dog more stiff and weaker. Flexibility training which includes stretching can help to improve your dog's overall function by allowing their body to respond to stresses imposed by movement and activity more easily.

Stretching can help to reduce pain and stiffness.

Too much muscle tightness create pain and discomfort throughout your dog's body. However, studies have shown that regularly performing static stretching like we are going to be showing you on this course can help to decrease stiffness and reduce pain levels, and may even reduce the frequency and severity of muscle cramps.

Whilst there are changes that occur as your dog grows older, regularly stretching your dog can help to improve flexibility at any age, helping to increase longevity and enhance overall quality of life.


So let's summarise the benefits of stretching.

Stretching can help to:

Improve joint range of movement, improve athletic performance, reduce the risk of injury, improve blood flow and circulation, reduce wear and tear of joints, improve muscular function and reduce pain and stiffness.


Thank you for watching this video.

For more information about the AOI and our other courses available, please visit us at www.animalosteopathyinternational.com

See you at the next video

Complete and Continue