Spread Your Wings

When people tell you to “spread your wings” they are usually talking about an opportunity to try something new in order to gain experience and become more confident in your abilities — and this is absolutely accurate and true.

Taking advantage of an occasion to spread your wings also (sometimes quite literally) stretches you in new ways.

If you think about stretching your wings as literal act — extending your arms out to your sides and then swinging them up to reach over your head toward the sky — you’re spreading your wings in a different way. You’re stretching muscles and tendons, increasing your flexibility and improving your circulation.

Taking a few minutes to spread your wings in the morning to start your day, and again in the afternoon to take a break from sitting at your desk, is personally refreshing and beneficial to your health.

In the morning is a good way to get your blood flowing after laying still through the night, and I find I enjoy doing a few simple stretching exercises before getting in the shower; it wakes me up gives me a good shot of energy to start the day.

In the afternoon a quick stretch break helps correct any slouching posture problems from sitting in front of the computer, relieves stress from working on complex projects (or dealing with complex people).

Other benefits to spreading your wings (stretching) is that it can increase your range of motion and blood flow to your muscles. It helps improve posture and can help heal/prevent back pain. I also find it is great for stress relief and has an almost meditative effect for calming the mind and improving concentration.

It’s easy to find stretching tutorial videos on YouTube. Create a playlist featuring different coaches to keep your stretching routine from becoming routine, or find a favorite and create your own morning or afternoon stretching ritual.

Start a daily practice of stretching your wings and you’ll be flying high and feeling fine every single day.