Many of the people, when doing their exercises, stretch in the wrong way, which ends up affecting flexibility, continue reading how to increase flexibility
Here are some tips and advice so you can improve your stretching routine and also your flexibility, you can do it from the comfort of your home, but keep in mind that there are optimal flexibility percentages and they will be different in each individual; when a person has a very limited range of motion it is because he has either very stiff or very tight muscles.
Chronic pain and some injuries can be symptoms that something is wrong with your muscular system and therefore stretching is recommended.
It is important to clarify that despite what is believed, being extremely flexible is not good either, it could be because the muscles are loose and therefore it can be a sign of weakness, which can translate into having some risk. Of dislocation or instability, these people need adequate training to stiffen ligaments and muscles.
Improving flexibility will not only help prepare us for exercise, but also to face daily tasks; it helps to reduce the risk of injury thanks to the fact that the muscles will be less stressed and therefore will have a good responsiveness.
It is important to keep in mind that increasing flexibility will not happen overnight, you need time, work and perseverance; at first it will be a little more difficult for you, but each time you manage to do your routines more easily.
Instructions to increase flexibility
- Start your stretching routine from the moment you get up, when you wake up before getting out of bed, stretch, it doesn’t have to be technical, and it should come naturally, like loosening up.
- If you practice any sport, stretching is vital, you must do it before starting and after finishing, the stretches you do before starting the exercise are what will help you avoid having an injury and the later stretches are for you to relax your muscles, which were subjected to great effort.
- It is important that you also stretch during the day, even if you do not practice any type of exercise, that will help you improve your flexibility; it is good to take a few short breaks and stretch, especially in those office jobs where you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, do it at least every two hours, if you can every hour better, stretch your back and neck muscles mainly, yes you are in a job that requires you to stand (a) mainly stretches the muscles located in the legs.
- You can practice Pilates or yoga; these are sports practices that consist of stretching the muscles as such and will help you increase your flexibility. Do it at least twice a week.
- Static Stretches– Stretch each muscle to the highest point of tolerance and hold in that position for ten to thirty seconds, several experts agree that this is the safest and most effective way to stretch. An example: sit down and then spread your legs and see that they are apart, and then you should lean forward and try to touch the ball of your foot with your hands. Bring your elbow across in front of your body to where your other side’s shoulder is, pressing it against your arm as you do so.
- Dynamic stretches: these must be done before the static ones, these are the ones that include several movements and their intention is to imitate and also exaggerate the movements and exercises that already exist. As an example you can do the following: start from a position where you have your arms flexed, then walk slowly until you see that your feet are as close to your hands as possible, when you achieve this, walk with your hands until you return to your initial position; you can round your back to stretch your spine. You can also do a leg swing, lean against a wall and begin to swing your outer leg like a pendulum, each time you lift your leg, increase its height and then do the same with the other leg; you can practice this with your arms,
Tips to increase flexibility
- It is important that if you practice yoga or Pilates, for example, that you adapt the posture according to your level, do not force yourself too much, as you practice it you will improve them until you make the perfect positions; While you practice remember that breathing is quite important, breathe slowly and deeply and you will see how it will help you to have a better resistance.
