The Benefits of Flexibility
Many physical benefits come with stretching your body to become more supple and flexible. Such training can allow easier and deeper movements while building strength and stability. Stretching also leads to a greater range of motion, improved balance and increased flexibility.
There are 6 key benefits of flexibility which are...
- Less Pain
Your body is likely to feel better overall once you work on lengthening and opening your muscles. When your muscles ae looser and less tense, you’ll experience fewer aches and pains. Plus, you may be less likely to experience muscle cramps.
- Fewer Injuries
Once you develop strength and flexibility in your body, you’ll be able to withstand more physical stress. Plus, you’ll rid your body of any muscle imbalances, which will reduce your chance of getting injured during physical activity. Correcting muscle imbalances requires a combination of strengthening the underactive muscles and stretching the overactive, tight, ones.
- Improved Posture and Balance
Your posture is likely to improve when you focus on increasing muscular flexibility. Working out your body allows you to have proper alignment and correct any imbalances. You may also find it easier to sit and stand in certain ways with an increased range of motion.
- A Positive State of Mind
Regularly engaging in poses that stretch and open your body can bring about feelings of relaxation. The physical benefits can extend to a relaxed state of mind. You may find it easier to unwind once your body feels better. Yoga is a brilliant exercise to achieve this.
- Greater Strength
As you become more flexible it’s important to increase strength. This ensures your muscles will have the right amount of tension so that they’re strong enough to support you and your movements, allowing you to become more physically fit.
- Improved Physical Performance
Once you increase your flexibility to allow greater movement in your body, you’ll be able to perform better physically, this is in part because your muscles are working more effectively.
Now that you know the benefits of being flexible, you’d probably like to know the best and most efficient ways of becoming flexible. One possible way of doing so is to take up yoga. Along with improving your flexibility, it also helps you with back pain relief and can benefit heart health.
Some specific yoga moves you could try are;
The downward-facing dog, which works hamstrings, glutes, deltoids, triceps and quadriceps.
Sun Salutations, which works spinal extensors, trapezius, abdominals, quadriceps and hamstrings.
Triangle Pose, works latissimus dorsi, internal oblique, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstrings and quadriceps.
Intense Side Stretch Pose, works erector spinal, pelvic muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings.
Two-knee spinal twist, works erector spinal, rectus abdominis, trapezius and pectoralis major.
It is important to not force our body while trying yoga. For beginners it is recommended you do yoga 2 to 5 times a week to achieve the best results. Ease yourself into it and slowly work up to the doing more routines over multiple weeks, to reduce over-working and to prevent possible injuries.
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