Flexibility is more than just an impressive trick — it’s an important ability that affects and defines your body in numerous ways. First and foremost, per a write-up on Sports Medicine Today, flexibility impacts your athletic performance, body alignment, and muscle balance. It is also an essential part of injury prevention because of how it affects your body’s strength and coordination.
All of these points speak to the general importance of flexibility. Below, we’ll dig into some of the more specific benefits you can get from improving this aspect of your fitness, as well as how you can do so.
What are the Benefits You Can Enjoy From Improving Your Flexibility?
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Improved Athletic Performance
This is the most notable and overarching benefit you can enjoy from improving your flexibility. As an article about flexibility by CNET put it, your muscles become more supple as your range of motion improves –– and this in turn leads to better form while exercising. With better form and smoother movements, you’ll feel more “loose,” and you’ll be able to work out more efficiently. This should lead to better results for your overall fitness.
Reduced Injuries and Pain
Improved flexibility also makes you less likely to experience injuries during workouts. This is essentially because it keeps muscles from being tight or out of balance with one another, which in turn reduces the likelihood that a given muscle will be pulled, or that a corresponding joint will be strained due to poor form or inadequate range of motion. Furthermore, beyond the avoidance of specific injuries, improved flexibility will also help to reduce day-to-day aches and pains. The better body alignment and muscle balance you achieve through flexibility training reduce the problems with posture and general bodily strain the are often behind these kinds of issues.
Greater Muscular Strength
A lot of people don’t associate flexibility with strength, but the reality is that the two are closely connected. Flexibility is an important aspect of strength training because, as mentioned, it improves your body’s range of motion. This is noteworthy when you consider what actually goes into dynamic strength training exercises. For instance, proper (and safe) squats require hip flexibility, muscle balance, and reliable posture. As such, improved flexibility allows your body to assume the proper positions and movements to conduct this and many other strength exercises.
Greater Mental Wellness
Finally, flexibility training can also provide a boost to your mental wellness. As expressed in our prior article titled ‘Improve Your Mental Wellness with Exercise’, exercise is not a cure-all in this respect –– but it can help you sleep, think, and feel better. Without a doubt, this applies to flexibility exercises (such as yoga and tai chi) as well. These exercises relax the mind, calm the body, and help you to feel stronger and more confident, all of which can boost your mood and mental wellness in multiple ways.
How Can You Improve Your Flexibility?
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People tend to have an extreme notion of flexibility training, imagining demanding and lengthy yoga sessions in high-intensity classroom settings. The truth of the matter, however, is that you can get tremendous benefit out of something much simpler, so long as it’s consistent. As a post on easy stretching exercises by SymptomFind puts it, regular stretching is one of the best things you can do for your muscles and body. The same post recommends a series of practices (neck, shoulder, and calf stretches for instance) that you can do on your own, at home, and on a regular basis.
As to what exactly “regular” means, the recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine is to do stretching exercises at least two days a week. It is important to take a well-rounded approach and stretch each muscle group and joint, however –– and stretching a few additional days each week won’t hurt.
Ultimately, it’s clear that flexibility is not just for gymnasts or yogis. It’s an important ability that everyone should work toward. By doing simple stretches on a regular basis, you can enjoy improved health in a variety of different ways. And once you’re in the habit, you’ll find that it’s easy to continue stretching, and thus solidify those health and wellness benefits.
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Article written by Rachael Jacobs
Exclusively for ZPhysique