Enhancing Flexibility Through Exercise

You may not have given much consideration to how flexible you are before, but this is something that can actually play a part in your physical health.

 

Flexibility is something that is often considered as secondary to strength and stamina when it comes to your physical fitness. However, there are several great reasons to embrace this as a more serious part of your exercise regime.

Benefits of Flexibility

So, what are the benefits of enhancing your flexibility?

First of all, when you are a flexible person, then it is less likely that you will experience injuries through physical activity. This is largely because your body is more prepared for any sudden movements, and is better able to absorb physcial stress. You are also less likely to have muscle imbalances in your body, and this in itself also goes a long way to helping to prevent injuries.

Secondly, through the process of getting and staying flexible, you will have to engage in regular stretching. As you stretch, you will relieve tension from your muscles, and this can help to protect against pain. We are going to talk more about the importance of stretching later in this article, so do keep reading for more on this!

Your posture and your balance will also be improved when you work on your flexibility, as these things tend to be impacted by the same exercises. Additionally, people who are flexible tend to also experience greater strength and physical performance. This is connected to how you work the muscles when you are enhancing your flexibility.

Enhancing Your Flexibility

There are a number of ways that you can get started with enhancing your flexibility. All of these things involve training your body regularly, and aiming to make small progressions as you go.

Yoga

 

It is a common misconception that you need to be flexible already to practice yoga. The truth is that absolutely anyone can get started with yoga, and your flexibility, as well as strength, stamina, and balance, will improve as you go.

 

There are several simple yoga poses that you can choose to get started with yoga. This is something you can learn more about online if you are new to yoga, and there are certainly several great resources on the web.

There are several great online yoga programmes that you can follow along to at home. The benefit of this is that you can build up your confidence by yourself before you go to an in-person class. You may also find that your home practice is enough, and continue to enjoy yoga this way by yourself.

Click here to read more about getting into yoga!

If yoga isn’t your thing, then there are still other ways that you can embrace the process of becoming more flexible.

Stretching

 

Having a daily stretching routine can go a long way to helping you with your flexibility. Stretching your body is something that you can spend a relatively short period of time doing each day, or give more time to if you wish to. However, there is no need to do this for too long to enjoy the benefits!

Similarly to yoga, this is something you can do by yourself at home, and there are a number of fantastic tutorial videos available online if you feel like you need some assistance.

Once you get into the habit of doing it regularly, you will likely find that stretching becomes an easy thing to fit into your day. You may even find that you are able to fit in several short bursts of stretching during each day. If you are able to do this, then you may find that targeting different muscle groups with each stretching session is the best way to maximise your effort and make the most of your time.

As well as helping you to become more flexible, stretching is a fantastic way to address and relieve pain and tension. Stretching can also improve your corculation, better facilitating the flow of blood around your body.

 

Click here to read more about the importance of stretching!

Staying Safe

As with all types of physical activity, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you are working out to become more flexible.

 

You should always warm up properly before moving your body in this kind of way. This ensures that your muscles are prepared for the range of motion they are about to move through,

Massaging your muscles after any kind of workout is a great idea. This can help to speed up the recovery of any damage, and also to limit any pain or discomfort that you might experience.

If self-massage isn’t something that you’re confident or comfortable with, then you may find foam rolling to be a good alternative option. You will likley have seen people using foam rollers at the gym, and this is something you can easily learn yourself and do at home.