If flexibility is a secondary concern for you, it’s time to move it up on your priority list. Because while you may consider flexibility to be important only for gymnasts and wrestlers, flexibility offers great benefits for people of all ages, stages, and interests.
Why It’s Important
Before you’ll spend time stretching your muscles, you need to be sold on the idea. So why is flexibility important? Because flexibility doesn’t mean being able to contort your body until you look like a human pretzel. Rather, flexibility is the ability to move your muscles and joints throughout their intended range of motion. Why should this matter to you? After all, you get along pretty well without being able to touch your toes, and you’ve never been hindered by an inability to do the splits, so stretching can’t be that big of a deal.
But did you know that you’ll never reach your maximum strength if you aren’t flexible? Stretching ensures you have full use of your muscles and ligaments. In the gym, this means you can perform each repetition properly and strengthen the entire muscle and ligament. Being flexible also increases your balance and coordination and helps you perform daily duties. Grabbing a lost house shoe under your bed, grabbing a book from the top shelf, and checking your car’s tyre pressure are all made easier if you’re flexible.
How to get Flexible
Ready to grow your flexibility and improve your overall health and well-being in the process? Here are a few things to remember and do to help your body being its most flexible.
1. Stretch everything out
You may use your legs more than your arms or your calves more than your back, but you need to stretch them all out. When you stretch, make sure you focus on your back, thighs, calves, hips, and arms.
2. Take it easy
Yes, you want your body to become flexible so you can be stronger and be better able to grab the peanut butter at the top of the cupboard. However, it’s not going to happen overnight. If you’re just starting a stretching routine, take it slow. Improper or excessive stretching carries many risks as excessive exercise.
3. Do it daily
While you may be accustomed to doing a quick stretch before hitting the treadmill, that isn’t enough to be truly flexible. To up your flexibility, you’ll need to spend at least 10 minutes stretching every day—even when you’re not going to the gym. An easy way to squeeze a little stretching in is by doing it during a coffee break or before the start of your day.
4. Find a stretch class
Weight lifting, spin, and other exercise classes cause you to shorten your muscles. To counter this effect on your muscles and ligaments, join a yoga, tai chi, or dance class. With these classes, you’ll have a good time, get in some great exercise, and leave feeling more flexible than when you first entered.
Good luck with your training!
Scott Williams
Succeed Fitness
www.succeed.com.au
