Happy New Year! Massage tip of the week:  STRETCH!  I know this can be a difficult one for some of you, but taking time to stretch out your body once per day is imperative!  It helps to keep your muscles from tightening up.  This is important because when your muscles tighten, they can pull bones out of alignment, ruining our posture.  Stretching helps increase range of motion and flexibility!  As we age, we lose these abilities which make touching our toes, picking up packages, or just sitting on the floor difficult tasks.  You can regain and maintain your range of motion and flexibility through regular stretching.  Remember never stretch cold muscles!  Always warm up first and hold your stretch for 30-60 seconds.  It takes time to loosen the muscle tissue, so if you have a tight muscle holding the stretch closer to 60 seconds would be beneficial.  If your running short on time and have to skip your workout, you can still stretch after a hot shower.   Never bounce when stretching and if you feel any pain during stretching you’ve gone to far, back out of the stretch a bit.  Make sure you always breathe easy and deeply while stretching, never hold your breath!   Stretching helps your body in the same ways that  massage does!   It keeps down your stress levels too!  For more information on the benefits of stretching check out www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447