Why it is so important to develop body flexibility and how to do that

What is flexibility?

Flexibility, that is, the ability to perform movements with a high amplitude, is needed not only in gymnastics, ballet or martial arts-this quality will be useful to you both in fitness classes and in everyday life.

If someone claims that he is flexible, then, most likely, he means that he can reach his hands to the feet in the crease while standing or sit in a deep squat. But flexibility is not just the ability to do some kind of exercise from the stretching complex. Experts from the US Department of Health define flexibility as a health-related component of physical development that is responsible for the range of motion in the joints.

Joints flexibility

Every joint and every muscle group in your body can have a different degree of flexibility. In some parts of your body, you may feel tight, your muscles may be short, and your range of motion may be small. At the same time, other muscle groups can stretch easily. You can have flexible back surfaces of the thighs, which will allow you to easily reach the toes with your fingers, and at the same time the quadriceps are shackled, which means that you will not be able to press the heel to the buttock in a standing position.

Inflexible hips are a frequent consequence of office work, the fact that you sit at the computer all day. To minimize the harm, try to get up and move for 5-7 minutes every hour, perform short sets of exercises.

5 advantages of a flexible body

Those who consciously work to improve the flexibility of the body receive a number of benefits, including:

Reducing the risk of injury.

The flexible body is able to withstand a large load. In addition, stretching helps to get rid of muscle imbalances, which reduces the likelihood of injury during physical activity.

Getting rid of the pain.

Stretching relaxes and lengthens the muscles, which leads to a reduction in tension and pain.

Improve your posture and sense of balance.

When you correct a muscle imbalance, the body aligns, and along with this, your posture and ability to stand or sit straight improves. By increasing the range of motion, it will be much easier for you to perform different exercises.

Improve your athletic performance.

A larger range of motion will allow you to perform better exercises, your muscles will work more efficiently.

Positive attitude.

Regular performance of stretching exercises helps to relax the muscles, which affects the well-being and mood.

Stretching exercises

You can improve your flexibility with stretching exercises. It is not necessary to perform them from morning to evening until you sit down on the splits. It is enough to attend stretching classes two or three times a week or do stretching at home using online programs or YouTube videos.

Stretching exercises usually begin with a gentle warm-up. This is followed by a set of exercises for stretching the legs, back, abs, and neck.

How to improve flexibility: 3 tips

1. Add a few minutes of stretching to your regular workout

It is not necessary to enroll in stretching classes to train flexibility. You can simply add a few stretching exercises to your daily workouts — a little dynamic stretching to warm up the muscles at the beginning of the session and static stretching to relax at the end.

2. Do a short stretch every morning

This workout will replace your exercise, give you cheerfulness and, with regular exercise, make your body flexible.
Morning workout: 5 exercises that will energize you.

3. Do different types of fitness

Many strength exercises also develop flexibility. For example, during the execution of lunges, the quadriceps of one leg is strained and the hip of the other is stretched. Performing various strokes in swimming develops the flexibility of the upper body.

What is the result

Adding flexibility exercises to your fitness routine will be useful for everyone. They will make your program more balanced, help you cope with stress, improve your well-being, and have a positive effect on your posture.

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