Introduction
Exercise is one of humans’ oldest and first health practices to maintain and preserve their healthy bodily status and high muscle functionality. Nowadays, medical and technical innovations and new pharmacological inventions overshadow this simple therapeutic technique, and people often underestimate its actual and potential positive impact. While novel medicines are designed to treat specific diseases and alleviate narrow categories of symptoms, the benefits of exercise, such as stretching, are wide and varied. It can help people get rid of physical and mental ailments such as back pain and high-stress levels (Finley). This paper will explore the importance and many benefits of daily stretching for an individual’s psychological and physical health by comparing the contents of two online articles.
Sameness and Difference in Professional and Amateur Approaches to Describing the Benefits of Stretching
Both Finley and the Mayo Clinic Staff discuss the benefits of regular and proper stretching in their online articles. Finley lists and describes eight specific good things about stretching, such as stress relief, better sleep, and good posture. Mayo Clinic professionals note that “stretching can help improve flexibility, and, consequently, the range of motion of your joints” (Mayo Clinic Staff). However, a slight difference present in how they show and prove these health facts. In every paragraph except two introductory ones, Finley cites experts from dance, workout, fitness, and Pilates to make her points more valid and persuade an interested audience to start stretching. The second article lacks any outside expert opinions as health professionals wrote it.
Authors’ Approach to Keeping Readers Safe
The more significant difference lies too in the contents of the online articles by Finley and the Mayo Clinic Staff, as the latter goes beyond simply describing the positive effects of stretching on the human body. The listing of its therapeutic influences serves mainly as an attention-getter for casual online readers in their writing. The Mayo Clinic Staff then meticulously explains how to do regular stretching correctly. They do this not only because of their professional obligations but also to avoid readers getting traumas while exercising and to strengthen and prolong their motivation. Finley does not describe any of the precautions related to stretching exercises that she mentions. Like any other exercise, improper stretching can cause physical injury of varying severity, and not addressing this aspect is a significant flaw of Finley’s article.
A Common Goal
Another similarity is in the purposes of Finley’s and Mayo Clinic Staff’s web articles to persuade their readers to start stretching. While their persuasive approaches and writing techniques differ slightly due to the sundry level of competence of the writers, their messages are similar. Finley can be said to be straightforward in her writing style of presenting facts. The Mayo Clinic Staff does it more consistently and carefully. Either way, the writers of both digital writings effectively contribute to the propaganda of stretching in society.
Conclusion
This paper compares two online articles on daily stretching to explore its various positive effects on a person’s physiological state and confirm its importance. Both the sameness and difference are present in the content of the online articles. Another similarity is in the purposes intended by the writers. Their writings show that fact listing is a good tactic for promoting healthy practices in society and that even non-professionals can do it efficiently.
Works Cited
Finley, Sarah. “8 benefits of stretching.” Live Science, 2021, Web.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Stretching: Focus on flexibility.” Mayo Clinic, 2020, Web.