After a long period of inactivity, you often encounter rigidity and tension in your muscles. To feel better, your body will respond to the resulting tiredness by deliberately or subconsciously stretching your arms, legs, and neck. <\/p>\n
The action will restore your muscles’ flexibility, and you will ultimately feel relaxed and perform your everyday tasks with relative ease. <\/p>\n
Stretching can enhance your range of motion by minimizing joint and muscle stiffness that results from long periods of inactivity or keeping the same position for a long time. It is also an awesome exercise that often leaves you refreshed, but is not isolated to humans. <\/p>\n
Animals too have been observed to stretch their limbs and bodies after moments of inactivity. Therefore, this phenomenon begs the question, why do you stretch when tired<\/strong>? Is stretching, whether deliberate or subconscious, our body’s instinctual reaction to tiredness? If so, can it be explained scientifically?<\/p>\n You stretch when tired because of a scientific phenomenon called pandiculation. This behavior isn’t isolated to humans, though, because it has been observed in a variety of species, especially while transitioning from periods of low to intense activity.<\/strong> <\/p>\n Pandiculation is prompted by the sensations of muscle tightness, low heart rate, and joint stiffness. Stretching is your body’s natural response activated by the parasympathetic nervous system to improve circulation, relieve muscle tightness, and enhance the feeling of overall well-being. <\/p>\n This makes routine stretching a beneficial practice especially when you feel fatigued.<\/p>\n When you sleep, sit, or maintain a relatively static position for an extended period, your muscles will naturally lose tone. Sleeping, for instance, causes fluid to pool along your back and legs. When you finally get out of that position, your body will instinctively stretch to restore normalcy by massaging the fluid gently into position.<\/p>\n Furthermore, stretching muscles after sleep can release stored tension. While releasing tension feels great for the body, the relaxation that accompanies stretching can sometimes feel like exhaustion. <\/p>\n However, stretching helps restore muscle strength by increasing blood circulation when you are tired. This wakes up the tight muscles and increases heart rate, which results in an invigorating feeling.<\/p>\nWhy Do You Stretch When Tired?<\/h2>\n
Why Do You Feel Like Stretching When You Are Tired?<\/h2>\n
Stretching: The Scientific Perspective<\/h2>\n