Fitness Gear: Stretching And Flexibility – What You Need To Know

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Stretching And Flexibility – What You Need To Know

Oftentimes, individuals will associate stretching and flexibility with athletes and dancers. Many people lack these components in their own fitness programs. However, if you have any intention of becoming stronger and fitter, then you definitely need to add stretching exercises and flexibility training to your workouts.

Why is flexibility training important? Basically, flexibility training is teaching your body to move more freely through normal range of motion. As we get older, our flexibility tends to decrease. Some factors that affect an individual's flexibility will include genetics, structure of your joints, as well as the elasticity of tissue within your muscles or tendons. Other factors that will affect an individual's flexibility are age, the skin that surrounds the joints, body type, prior injuries, activity level, and gender. It is possible for an individual to dramatically improve their flexibility with minimal effort. There are some methods that an individual should focus on in order to improve their flexibility.

Some flexibility exercises can be completed alone while other types will require some type of assistance from a trainer. Static stretching is the process of moving your body towards a full range of motion using your muscles. When you are stretching you need to hold each position no less than thirty seconds.

On the other hand, dynamic stretching is when an individual swings their muscles through a full range of motion. This is found very common among martial art experts, but is not recommended for the average individual. One method is known as the PNF method, which is creating dynamic movements through rotating and angling the body.

Facial stretching is when deep manipulation is applied to facial tissue to increase the range of motion of the face. Oftentimes, a professional is needed to perform facial stretching such as massages or neuromuscular therapy. Stretching helps increase the range of motion to make an individual much more flexible.

To promote your endurance and build healthy joints and cartilage, you need to increase your blood flow. When an individual improves their balance and coordination, they will not only enhance their performance, but will also improve their neuromuscular coordination.

Many people want to increase their mobility, relieve stress, or increase their endurance, which is why they should stretch each day before and after their exercise routine. Some basic forms of exercises that can improve an individual's flexibility are - Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi.

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