This will help you identify areas of strain and strength that can be focused on over time. While working to gain flexibility over a longer time period is best, there are ways that stretching can provide instant gratification. But gentle stretching paired with deep breaths and a massage can actually release tension immediately. Remember that flexibility is a spectrum, and that it may be painful to move from one end to the other. At first, your body may resist the stretching exercises.
Muscles have been trained and shaped a certain way — be that healthy extended muscles or ones that have spent the last two decades hunched over a computer. Stretching may at first set off alarm bells in your body and can seem painful and pointless. If you start small and grow your flexibility using the methods above, your body will thank you today, and for the rest of your life.
Other benefits of taking the time to develop your flexibility include reduced risk of injury, better balance, better range of motion and better performance in your favorite sports or hobbies. You might even feel stronger once you gain a bit of flexibility, simply because that flexibility gives you the range of motion to let your muscles work more efficiently.
There's a surprising amount of discussion among experts about the effect that pre-workout stretching has on exercise performance and whether you should do dynamic or static stretching before a workout. But if you're looking at things from the standpoint of becoming more flexible, there's a well-developed body of evidence demonstrating that static stretching is the way to go.
Having a few decades of life behind you means that you've probably had time to buy into some common dysfunctional movement and postural patterns, especially if you happen to work at a desk. Tight quads, tight hip flexors and tight lower back muscles are the norm , along with tight pecs and anterior shoulders the front of your shoulder , as your back releases and rounds forward into the classic "I've been at my computer all day" posture.
The good news is that stretching can help counteract these postural imbalances and might even provide some relief from the chronic discomfort that often accompanies them. With that in mind, these starter stretches can form the core of a beginning flexibility program. Warm up before you stretch with five to 10 minutes of exercise — walking around the block, walking up and down stairs at home, or using a treadmill or elliptical trainer.
Aim to hold each stretch at the point of tension, not pain, for between 10 and 30 seconds — or longer, if you like — and repeat each stretch three to five times in a session. If you're doing a stretch that targets one side of your body at a time, make sure you pay equal attention to both sides.
It might be tempting to subscribe to the idea that more is better, but that isn't always the case when it comes to how far you should stretch. Exercise professionals have long contended that stretching to the point of tension, not pain, is all you have to do to gain flexibility.
This is backed up by a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology , which showed that stretching to the point of pain doesn't produce any greater gains in flexibility than stretching to the point of slight discomfort.
Believe it or not, tight quads and hip flexors can contribute to a sense of nagging back pain and even develop into postural or gait problems, because in extreme cases they can keep you from truly standing up straight.
But one stretch can tackle quads and hip flexors at once:. Stand next to a wall or piece of sturdy furniture you can use for balance. Lift your left leg as if you were trying to kick yourself in the butt, and grasp the ankle of that leg with your left hand. Keep your left knee pointing downward, tucked against your other leg.
Next, gently press your left hip forward or, if you prefer, think of bringing your left knee gently back until you feel a stretch across the front of your hip and down your thigh. Make sure you stretch your other leg too. If doing this stretch while standing causes a problem, try doing it on the floor; just lie on one side and stretch the leg that is uppermost.
Then roll over to stretch the other side. Just don't do these right before a run. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, and then do it with the other leg. People don't think about the muscles in their derriere—until they develop sciatic nerve or low back pain , both of which can involve the muscles and tendons in your buttocks. Sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Now cross your right foot over your left leg so that your foot is resting flat on the ground—ideally alongside your thigh, Wilmarth says.
Your left leg is still straight out in front of you, while your right knee should now be pointed at the ceiling. Twist your upper body to the right so that you can rest the back of your left arm against the outside of your right knee. Twist your upper body and push against your knee until you feel your butt stretch. Hold it for a few seconds—up to 30—then switch and do everything the other way, Wilmarth instructs. Pilates stretches are an effective way to squelch low back pain and improve functionality, finds a recent review study from the journal PLOS One.
You could start attending group Pilates classes. Or you could practice those beneficial bridges and twists at home with the help of a wall , experts say. Like Pilates, yoga is a proven flexibility sustainer and muscle-pain banisher. Field says there's also evidence yoga can boost your immune system. One type isn't better than another. If you can fit a weekly—or even daily—yoga practice into your schedule, your body will thank you for it, Field says.
Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search.
0コメント