Your body is breathing and stretching everyday whether you know it or not. So why not take advantage and see what happens when you take control of your body? If you aren't prepared to exercise, your body can have negative reactions to physical activities. Have you ever been out of breath or pulled a muscle? Then you know what I’m talking about.  Most people have heard that you should stretch before exercising or playing sports. But, did you also know that morning stretching can help you sleep better at night, or that certain stretching and breathing methods are believed to help relieve headaches.  

According to the Olympics website, proper stretching and breathing techniques can help you avoid overdoing it amongst other things. Regular, consistent, daily stretching has been demonstrated to have the following effects:
- Increases the length of the muscle-tendon unit
- Increases joint range of motion
- Reduces muscle tension
- Develops body awareness
- Promotes increased circulation
- Makes you feel good!

It's not like you have to change your whole life around to fit a few simple exercises into your daily routine. Most of them can be done while sitting at your desk, lying in bed, or even while watching TV. Check out the How To link for more on simple ways to make proper breathing and stretching part of your everyday life.