For me, I’ve noticed it’s the build-up of the little things that helps calm my mind, like sipping a warm British tea or basking in those five minutes of stepping outside in nature and feeling the breeze cool my face. A quick stretching routine is another go-to. Stretching has been proven to increase your flexibility and range of motion, not to mention lowering stress and blood pressure.
In another thought-provoking study, researchers explored how many minutes of stretching lowers anger and depression and boosts cognitive functioning, or shall we call it brain power, and your ability to focus and think clearly. For those who just want to get right to the answer, it’s 10 minutes. Indeed, 10 minutes is all it takes.
What can 10 minutes of stretching do for your brain and mood?
Daria Liudnaya / Pexels
In the study of 19 physically inactive people, researchers found that just 10 minutes of stretching enhanced feelings of vigor and lowered feelings of anger, depression, tension, hostility, and fatigue. A simple 10-minute stretch or yoga routine could help you become less cranky, sour, sad, and sleepy.
The study methods
Andrew / Pexels
The young adult participants in this study performed the Stroop task and completed the short-form Profile of Mood States (POMS) before and after 10 minutes of whole-body stretching. The whole body stretching involved yoga techniques and poses. The POMS is a questionnaire designed to assess tension, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and more. The Stroop task is a brain test that measures mental control and focus.
All participants also performed the Stroop task and the short form of the POMS before resting for the same duration, with no stretching or exercise. Researchers compared the two conditions: stretching and resting.
The research results
Olly / Pexels
The researchers pointed out that stretching is a low-intensity form of movement, making it more accessible. Here are the main takeaways from this research:
Stretching for 10 minutes decreased tension and anxiety, depression, hostility, fatigue, and confusion scores while increasing vigor.
Not surprisingly, increasing the vigor score (feeling more energetic and awake) resulted in better cognitive performance on the Stroop brain test.
In a nutshell, just 10 minutes of stretching enhanced all mood states and cognitive performance, even in people who don’t exercise. Improving mood is at least in part associated with improving brain power (cognitive performance).
Resting didn’t yield the same responses, so it’s worth stretching those muscles.