Some exercises to make your body more flexible
With today’s busy lifestyle, being fit and healthy has become very important. Out of all parts of fitness, flexibility tends to be missed by many people. At the same time, being flexible is very important for having a healthy body that functions well. Stretching, no matter if you are active in sports, work at a desk or simply try to move comfortably, is important for your physical performance and all-round health.
What is important about being Flexible?
The term flexibility means the range of motion found in your joints and muscles. It has a direct influence on the way you stand, move around and the chances of getting hurt. In the opinion of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), stretching daily improves muscles’ flexibility, raises blood flow to them and heightens their coordination. It was discovered via a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that those who regularly did stretching experienced less soreness and performed better by about 20%.
Limited flexibility can result in problems with a person’s muscles, joints and ongoing pain. If your hip, hamstring and shoulder muscles are tight, they might be a reason for lower back pain and poor posture which are common issues for office workers and those who remain mostly sedentary.
There are several kinds of stretching.
Having a flexible body requires knowing about the types of stretching workouts. Every type is meant for a particular purpose and fits in better with various situations.
1. Static Stretching
If you practice static stretching, you should hold a stretch in a comfortable way for between 15 and 60 seconds. You should do this technique after you’re finished exercising as part of your recovery routing.
Example
While sitting, one leg should be stretching out and the other should be bent beneath you. Get as close to your toes as you can and keep holding the position.
Benefits
- Increases flexibility of the body.
- Lowers the amount of tension in the muscles.
- Enhances relaxation
2. Dynamic Stretching
With dynamic stretching, you move smoothly to loosen the body and make it ready for activity.
Example
Swing first one leg up in front of you and then back again under you.
Benefits
- Raises the rate of the heart and increases blood flow.
- Improve your muscles’ strength and power.
- This kind of music prepares the body and mind for exercise.
3. Ballistic Stretching
This type of stretching involves bouncing which takes the body past its usual movement limits. For newcomers, this practice is often not recommended since it raises the risk of getting injured.
This exercise is where you quickly bounce up and down as you try to keep touching your toes.
Benefits
- May improve the flexibility of athletes during movement
- People should be monitored when using these medicines
4. You can also use PNF stretching for your exercise routines.
It is a type of stretching that mixes stretching your muscles without movement and isometric exercises. A resistance band or another person is usually used to do it.
Sit back on the floor and lift one leg so that your foot is against the other leg. Your partner moves your leg up towards your head, but you resist for 10 seconds and afterwards, you relax and stretch yourself even more.
Benefits
- It makes people much more flexible.
- Lets people gain muscle strength.
5. Active Stretching
Active stretching requires copying an exercise motion and holding it there using your proper muscle strength. It is included in sessions of yoga and Pilates.
No need to use your hand to pull the leg when doing the standing quad stretch.
Benefits
- It strengthens muscles and increases flexibility at the same time.
- The practice supports the flexibility you achieve from other methods.
Designing a plan for Stretching
If you want to get the best result from stretching, practice it every day. Now let’s talk about how to build a good flexibility exercise program.
Frequency
Try to stretch your muscles at least three to five times every week. Stretching every single day can give you the best results when you deal with tight or overworked muscles.
Duration
Cover each stretching move with 15-60 seconds and do it 2-4 times for every group of muscles. During the total time of the session, it should last anywhere from 10-30 minutes.
Warm-Up First
Before doing any stretching, always warm up since this reduces your chances of being injured. Moving at a moderate pace for five to ten minutes is fine, so either walk or jump jacks can be your light activity.
Dream about more than one idea.
Make sure to do some static, dynamic and PNF stretching to expand the flexibility of your muscles, no matter if they are active or passive.
The link between stretching and ageing.
With the passing of years, both our muscles and joints get less flexible. Hence, keeping limber with small stretches is very important for ageing people. According to the National Institute on Ageing, doing flexibility exercises regularly in older people can improve balance, lower the chances of falls and boost their day-to-day activities.
For people beyond the age of 50, starting with gentle and slow stretches while practicing breathing is the best thing to do.
The Beliefs about Stretching Explained
A number of misconceptions about stretching may prevent people from including it in their exercises.
This needs to be made clear:
- Stretching is assumed by many to prevent getting injured while exercising. Truth: It is more effective to do dynamic before exercise to prevent injuries than making use of static stretching.
- It is only necessary to stretch when your body is sore. The truth is stretching, even when muscles are tired, will increase how flexible and strong you become.
- Most people think that if you don’t touch your toes, you aren’t flexible. The truth is that the amount of flexibility people have is influenced by the length of their muscles, how their joints are built and their way of life.
Determining Stretches Depending on What is Needed
Office workers will find these records useful. Often, sitting in the same position for a long time causes your hip flexors, hamstrings and shoulders to become tight. Carrying out seated spinal twists, chest openers and hip flexor exercises can help reverse the effects mentioned.
For Athletes
Dynamic stretches are good before a workout and static or PNF stretches after a workout can enhance an athlete’s performance and recovery.
If you are a Yoga lover
Yoga practices a combination of stretching exercises. Various muscles are stretched by practicing Downward Dog, Pigeon Pose and Cobra which improve balance.
To help with Recovery
The help of a therapist is important during stretching to ensure healing takes place without hurting yourself again.
Statistical Insights
- A survey carried out by the American College of Sports Medicine showed that not many adults add flexibility exercises to their fitness program.
- Another scientific paper in Journal of Sports Science and Medicine reports that doing stretching for 6 weeks resulted in a 19% increase in hamstring flexibility.
- Data from the CDC points out that inflexibility is responsible for 30% of the musculoskeletal injuries that happen at work.
- This proves the need for flexibility in any complete fitness program.
Conclusion
Flexibility matters for everyone since it’s necessary for proper physical health. If you are seeking improved fitness or just want to feel better day by day, stretching exercises will bring you agility, balance and give you freedom from aches. When you use a variety of stretching exercises and learn their benefits, your body will become more flexible and tough.
Get started right away, stretch in the right way and don’t give up. You will benefit your body if you stick with home cooking.
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