Flexibility is a key component of physical fitness. Development and maintenance should be an important part of your fitness program. Having a flexible body can help you accomplish physical tasks with greater efficiency and less risk of injury.
Flexibility is the range of movement of the joint or series of joints and their associated muscles. It involves the ability to move a part of the body through the full range of motion allowed by normal, disease free joints.
Stretching can greatly help reduce the chance of injury while performing physical fitness activities. As we get older our tendons and ligaments tend to shorten. This can limit your body part’s range of motion. When we exercise our muscles contract and become tight. If you exercise a lot and don't stretch, over time the muscle becomes stronger but it would also stay tight and contracted, thus reducing that body part’s range of motion.
Stretching will also help your muscles develop more size and shape.
Before performing any physical activity you should thoroughly stretch the muscles which you are going to be enlisting during that activity. But, before stretching the muscles you should properly warm up the muscle group. You should never jump right in and start stretching a cold muscle, you should always do some type of activity to get the blood circulating first.
The Warm Up.
Before beginning any vigorous physical activity, one should prepare the body for exercise. The warm up increases the flow of blood to the muscles and tendons, thus helping reduce the risk of injury. It also increases the joints range of motion and positively affects the speed of muscular contraction. A recommended sequence of warm up activities follows.
You should do these for five to seven minutes before vigorous exercise.
Slow jogging in place or walking for one to two minutes. This causes a gradual increase in the heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, and increases the temperature of the active muscles.
Slow joint rotation exercises for example on circles knee/ankle rotations, to gradually increase to joint’s range of motion. Works each major joint for five to ten seconds.
Insure slow, static stretching of the muscle to be used during the upcoming activity. This will loosen muscles and tendons so they can achieve greater ranges of motion with less risk of injury.
Some type of callisthenic exercise, to increase the intensity level before the activity or conditioning. Like jumping jacks, or something of that nature.
Slowly mimic the activities to be performed. For example lift a lighter weight to warm up before lifting a heavier one this helps prepare the neuromuscular pathways.
A typical warm-up routine for me consists of the following:
Upon arriving at the gym I start off with some slow joint rotations working my way down from my head to my feet.
I then head for the treadmill, and start walking at a very slow pace. I do this for about ten
minutes, gradually increasing to slow jog. This gets my blood flowing and my body starts to warm up.
I then stretch the major muscle groups, which I am going to be working on that day.
I then mimic the exercise which I'm going to be performing with a minimal amount of weight. For example, if I'm working my chest and starting off with the bench press, I will perform approximately fifteen repetitions of the exercise using only the bar.
The cool down.
Upon completion of a vigorous exercise don't stop suddenly, as this can be very dangerous. Gradually bring the body back down to its resting state by slowly decreasing the intensity of the activity. For example, after running one should walk for one to two minutes. Stopping exercise suddenly can cause blood pool in the muscles, thereby reducing blood flow to the heart and brain. This may cause fainting or abnormal rhythms in the heart, which could lead to serious complications.
What your body has sufficiently cooled down repeat the stretch is done in the warm to help ease muscle tension and any immediate feeling of muscle soreness. Be careful not to over stretch. The muscles are warm from the activity and can possibly be over stretched to the point of injury.
Stretches should be held for 30 seconds or more during the cool down to improve flexibility. Use partner assisted or PNF and techniques, if possible.
Stretching techniques
There are four categories of different stretching techniques they are: static, passive, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), and ballistic.
Static stretching involves the gradual lengthening of muscles and tendons as a body part moves around the joint. It is a safe and effective method for improving flexibility. You should assume each stretching position slowly until you feel tension or tightness. This commands the muscle without causing a reflex contraction in the stretch to muscle. You should hold at each stretch for ten seconds or longer. This lets the lengthened muscles adjust to stretch without causing injury.
The longer a stretch is held, the easier it is for the muscle to adapt to that length. Static stretching should not be painful. You should feel slight discomfort, but no pain. When pain results from stretching, it is a signal that you are stretching a muscle or tendon too much and may be causing damage.
Passive Stretching
Passive stretching involves the use of a partner or equipment, such as a towel, pole, or rubber tubing, to help stretch. This produces a safe stretch through a range of motion you could not achieve without help. You should talk with your partner to ensure that each muscle is stretched safely through the entire range of motion.
PNF Stretching
PNF stretching uses the neuromuscular patterns of each muscle group to help improve flexibility. You perform a series of intense contractions and relaxations using a partner or equipment to help you stretch. The PNF technique allows for greater muscle relaxation following each contraction and increases your ability to stretch through a greater range of motion.
Ballistic Stretching:
Ballistic, or dynamic, stretching involves movements such as bouncing or bobbing to attain a greater range of motion and stretch. Although this method may improve flexibility, it often forces a muscle to stretch too far and may result in an injury. We here at the VFC advise you not to use the ballistic style of stretching.
You should not limit flexibility training to just a warm up and cool down periods. If for whatever reason you are unable to conduct any physical training on a particular day you should use that day to work on flexibility improvement. You can do it at home, in the gym, at work, or anywhere. Stretching is one form of exercise that takes very little time relative to the benefits gained.
So remember to keep those bodies flexible and to keep stretching.