Pandiculation:
One thing is for sure: stretching feels good, particularly after a long spell of being still. We aren’t the only species to have worked this out. As anyone with a dog or cat will know, many animals take a deep stretch after lying around. This kind of stretching, called pandiculation, is so common in nature that some have suggested it evolved as a reflex to wake up the muscles after a spell of stillness. [“The lowdown on stretching: How flexible do you actually need to be?” Caroline Williams, NewScientist (17 July 2021, paywall)]
