There are 3 primary parts of exercise: cardiovascular exercise, strengthening exercises, and flexibility training. And let’s face it—those first 2 typically get more emphasis. Cardiovascular exercise (running, for example—anything which gets your pulse up) and strength training (lifting weights) come with some rather immediate outcomes. They help us build muscle and lose weight , all while helping us be more fit. It takes longer to see those advantages.
But here’s the deal: flexibility becomes more significant as you grow old. Being limber can help battle those aches and pains related to aging; stretching can help you maintain better joint health. It can also make those daily jobs—carrying groceries, going up and down stairs etc. much easier.
However, you can’t wake up when you’re 64 and unexpectedly be equally as adaptable as you were when you were 24. It’s much better and even more efficient to work flexibility training into your workout routine throughout your own life.
(Rest assured: if you are 64 and were hoping to regain some of that youthful flexibility, you can start working it in your workout routine now. Simply be realistic concerning the outcomes. You will, most likely, never be as flexible as you once were, but working on flexibility at any age is rewarding.)
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They could help you establish realistic targets and create a plan that best suits your life. You may want to think about working with a personal trainer to assist you ease into the brand new routine.
After a run is yes, better than nothing, doing a couple of hamstring stretches, but you won’t find as many long-term gains as you’d see from a flexibility plan that is more developed.
To get the most benefit from flexibility training, you should have a personalized program, one that takes into account your body and demands. As stated earlier, a personal trainer or physical therapist is able to help you develop the best plan for you.
And remember: the more time and attention you give to flexibility training, the more gains you’ll see—especially those long term gains.
Think, also, about your daily life: does your job involve a lot of sitting or lifting?
A personalized flexibility training program is able to help you enhance your freedom (how well your joints move) and stability (keeping good posture and body alignment during actions in order for your body isn’t under undue strain). It can allow you to excel in sports or your activities, in addition to help you take good attention to your body on a daily basis.
The shoulders, chest, hamstrings, and hips are often tight, but you may find tightness in other regions depending on harms, pressure in your lifetime, or how rough a particular workout was. By tailoring your flexibility training to your body, you’ll prevent overstretching muscles—or muscles that are lost that need consideration.
Listen to your body, and don’t push it too much when you’re stretching. Instead, ease into a stretch when you’ve reached the limit of what you are able to do at that point, and understand.
Also, you need to prevent ballistic stretches—that sort of extending where you bounce in and out of the stretch. That strategy isn’t as successful holding the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds and then as slowly stretching your muscles.
Within the plan that was developed for you, you can use resistance balls, towels, or other props that’ll allow you to go deeper in your stretches. Assortment will also make you more likely to stay with your flexibility training plan.
You may be a bit confused—isn’t stretching a warmup? How do you warm up for stretching? This is where a brisk walk or short jog can help: get your heart pumping and your muscles limber before stretching.
Assess your gym’s class program; it may be that they have a few flexibility or stretching classes. Sometimes these courses combine cardiovascular work, strength training, and flexibility work—all 3 parts of exercise in one class! Or you may take a class that’s exclusively focused on stretching.
Pilates and yoga are outstanding flexibility training trainings. Plus, they teach you about relaxation, meditation, and other head-body techniques—ways to help calm your body and emotions, which can, subsequently, make your body more receptive to being stretched.
Maybe you’ve got this bogus organization with extending—that only individuals in rehabilitation do it or that it’s only for individuals who aren’t actually in shape (that’s: it’sn’t “real” exercise). Well, it’s time to go past that misconception. Everyone should stretch. Look for inspiration or proof at Olympic and professional athletes: they know that flexibility training is a key section of peak performance.
It needs to be part of your routine, for stretching to be as effective as possible. This isn’t something which you do for a few weeks and after that move on. Regular stretching and flexibility work—along with cardiovascular exercise and strength training —will assist you to take good care of your own body for years to come.
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The information herein on "Flexibility Training Tips - El Paso Back Center" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
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Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
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