Some people are just naturally flexible. If you are not one of those people there are ways to improve your flexibility.
What Improved Flexibility Can Do For You
Flexibility can help protect you from injury. When you are flexible you decrease the chances of injury to your muscles and you are able to increase your range of motion.
Exercise Caution as you Improve Flexibility
Before you do any type of physical workout it is important to warm up your muscles. You can do this with 10 minutes of cardio workout. Do not stretch cold muscles as you may cause injury.
Never perform a stretch past the point where you feel pain. This can cause serious injury. Improving flexibility takes time and pushing yourself past the point of pain will not make it go faster, it can actually slow you down. Know your limits and your boundaries and do not push yourself past them.
Steps to Improve Flexibility
A great way to improve flexibility is to join a yoga class or take up yoga on your own. Yoga provides full body routines that can help with flexibility over time. If you do not have time to take a class, learn some poses and do them at home. There are other stretching routines to help with flexibility as well.
After you have warmed up your muscles you can begin to improve flexibility with a stretching routine. Do a full body stretching routine for maximum results. Work systematically from the top of your body and move down. Areas of the body you should work to improve flexibility include the neck, shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest and back in the upper body. After you have stretched these muscles move to the lower body. Stretch the core, gluteus, hips, hamstrings, quad, calf, ankles and feet to improve flexibility. You should hold each stretch for a minimum of one minute when you are just beginning. As your flexibility improves you can increase the amount of time you hold each stretch. When performing a stretch do not bounce the muscle, hold it steady.
As you improve your flexibility you are able to deepen your stretches. Push a little farther until you feel the burn of the stretch, only where it is comfortable and hold the stretch there. Breathing is important as it carries oxygen to your muscles. Many people tend to hold their breath while holding a stretch. Be aware of your breathing as you stretch and breathe evenly and deep.
