Why do we need to stretch our muscles? In the wild we wouldn’t have time to stretch before running from danger so shouldn’t our bodies be ready to move optimally whenever needed?
In: Biology
Your question assumes that in the wild we would have the same “baseline” activity that our modern advancements has allowed us. We rely on transport to get us anywhere, where as in the wild we would have to walk for everything, even the fact that we turn a tap and water comes out has removed the need to go and fetch water. Some rural villages have a 25km walk everyday, just to get their daily water needs. In contrast we sit 8+ hours a day in an almost static position, we use tools to carry our loads, we have effectively reduced our bodies baseline ability and fitness level, which leaves us in a position that our muscles are just not used as much as they should be to allow for impromptu bursts of effort.
In short we are chronically unfit in comparison to how fit we would be with a lifestyle in the wild.
But that being said, on a biological level, our brains (in comparison to wild animals) consumes a massive portion of our daily energy requirements (I believe its something like 1/3), and because of that our bodies are constantly optimising its energy allocations. If something isn’t being used, and it is considered non-essential, the body starts reducing the resources it allocates to those non-essentials. This is why people who are bed ridden for extended amounts of time, develop muscle atrophy, because the muscles are not being used. This is obviously an extreme example, but essentially this is what our modern day life of sitting behind desks, and transportation has done to our muscles as we don’t demand much from them on a regular basis.
Stretching comes in and engages the muscles and makes sure that we are forcing the range of motion of the muscles as well as the nerves which is trying to counter the hours of inactivity. These stretches shouldnt be done cold, as that can lead to damage, but after some light activity we have increased the blood flow, and then proceed to stretch and warm up the muscles and nerves before putting full exertion on the muscles.
Stretching is effectively the hack we have found to counter the lack of physical activity our modern lifestyles have created.
Anyway, that’s as close to an eli5 answer I can think of…
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