Personally, I’ve always loved stretching because it just feels good. When I first tried yoga, I immediately loved how good it felt to stretch and move my muscles and limbs in all of these different, interesting ways. Researchers have found that stretching improves the range of motion even after a single session and reduces muscle stiffness.
Previous research shows that frequent yoga and stretching reduce the risk of high blood pressure and improve arterial stiffness. These factors are protective of your heart health. Studies show stretching and aerobic exercise are a potent combo for lowering blood pressure and improving your heart health.
The feel-good factor
Many people, including myself, say it feels good or relaxing to stretch their upper back and shoulders. In a recent study, researchers wanted to know why. What happens to your heart rate and blood pressure during this kind of stretching? Let’s explore some of the latest research.
The study
In a study published in the journal Physiological Reports, the researchers monitored 24 healthy adults while they stretched their upper backs and shoulders. The study authors compared these changes to the changes that occurred when participants stood up quickly, which typically increases heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
Participants underwent continuous beat-to-beat heart rate and blood pressure monitoring during active standing and shoulder/upper back extension stretching. The researchers pointed out that when you stretch your shoulders or upper back, special nerves in the muscles send information to your brain and prompt internal signals. The communication between the muscles and brain could influence how your heart and blood pressure might respond to that stretching, leading to that calming, more relaxed feeling.
The results
Here are the study results:
- Stretching caused a noticeable drop in blood pressure, just like standing up.
- Interestingly, stretching didn’t raise heart rate as much as standing up. When blood pressure drops, your body increases your heart rate to help keep the blood flowing to your brain, but stretching only results in a minor rise in heart rate compared to standing up.
- During stretching, the heart rate response was only about 30% of what would normally occur with the same blood pressure drop when standing.
Concluding thoughts
When you stretch your shoulders and upper back/neck area, this brief drop in your blood pressure helps relax your body, but it doesn’t cause your heart rate to rise as much as it usually would when blood pressure drops. This heart rate and blood pressure response triggers a “neural relaxation reflex,” involving nerves in the upper back and shoulders, which could help explain the relaxing, feel-good sensation of stretching.
The researchers reported that when stretching these muscles, your brain interprets these particular cardiovascular changes as signals of safety, allowing your body to relax more. Excuse me while I go stretch my neck and shoulders.
