WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Stretching

We get it. It's cold outside, your bed is warm and that dream about vacationing on a fantastic island makes you want to close your eyes again to see if you can return to swaying in a hammock. We don't blame you. But if you're going to skip out on a workout (or two), please, please, take a few minutes to stretch before you face the day.

Not only will you

• improve your muscle strength
• help your posture
• increase flexibility
• help prevent injury

But it will also get your circulation going so that you are actually more alert and awake! And since it requires no equipment, you can do it wherever you are, even if you're on the road like I am. In the long run, those few minutes will turn into a healthier you.

Speaking of stretching, we also challenge you to stretch your limits a bit throughout the day, even if not in the physical sense. Perhaps try a new food, sip a new tea, take the scenic way home or learn about something you wouldn't normally be drawn to (staffers around here recommend This American Life or Radiolab just for stretching your mind).

How do you break out of your comfort zone? Any good stretches you recommend?