Whether you’re cooling down after a run or doing a few stretches at your desk when work is starting to become a pain in the neck (literally), most of us recognize the benefit of stretching.

But we can also probably admit we aren’t doing enough of it. The problem is, we tend to think of it as a bookend to more strenuous exercise — a form of movement used to warm up before you get to the real work or cool down afterwards. But stretching is actually a vital, albeit overlooked, form of exercise, and experts say that the body should be engaging in it on a consistent basis.

According to John Ford, certified exercise physiologist, owner of JKF Fitness & Health in New York City, flexibility is one of the five components of fitness, which can have it's own tailored exercise program to get specific improvements. "When we talk about stretching we are describing an exercise that can maintain or improve a person’s flexibility. Flexibility is defined as the range of motion of a joint or group of joints. The range of motion of any particular joint is dependent on the makeup of your muscles, your physical activity/exercise, your anatomical structure (shout out to the double jointed among us), age and gender. Thus, stretching for flexibility is designed to actively target the range of motion."

Just as other forms of body conditioning like strength training and cardio are a necessary part of a fitness routine, “stretching should not be overlooked,” adds Kevin Ramsey, Lead Stretch Therapist at Massage Envy. “Stretching helps to resolve tension in the muscles. When this tension is resolved, muscles have a better chance of getting the circulation they need to function normally. Circulation is vital in all tissues of the body because this is how nutrition is distributed throughout the tissues. To that extent, stretching may be seen as a form of self-care or conditioning all on its own.”

What stretching does for the body

While stretching is a movement we certainly can perform at home, it’s becoming increasingly popular in the fitness space, not only on class schedules at big box gyms, but with boutique studios dedicated solely to stretching. “Assisted stretching, done with the help of a professional service provider or stretching ‘coach,’ is proven to increase mobility, flexibility and blood flow and improve how muscles function,” says Ramsey.

Here are a few of the other benefits that can be reaped from a consistent stretching routine: