You probably do your cardio and your weight training religiously. But what about your stretching? The exercise warm up is probably the most ignored part of any fitness program. It is also one of the most vital components. And while it's commonly known that effective flexibility exercises will help to reduce the incidence of injury, it's not often recognized how important flexibility is for improving strength, speed and efficiency of movement.
Why is flexibility important?
- Speed: Relaxed muscles move more efficiently. The most efficient athletes often look like they are expending very little energy as they travel across the ground. This fluid movement comes from flexible muscles that allow a full range of movement and enable the athlete to relax with each stride. Tightness restricts movement, uses more energy and slows down stride turnover. If you can achieve a feeling of "looseness" before playing sport, you will move faster.
- Force of contraction: Tight or shortened muscles have a shorter area over which to contract. Research has shown that this can significantly reduce the force of contraction. Only by lengthening the muscles and groups of muscles to their natural length, can you unlock your muscles' maximum strength.
- Agility: Quick reactions and agility are required in most sports. Loose and flexible muscles allow your brain and nervous system to communicate more efficiently with your muscles. The combination of faster reactions and increased flexibility means that you will get where you want to, faster.
Common Flexing Problems
The most common areas for men to become restricted due to the lack of a flexibility progam are around the hip and shoulder joint capsules.
Joint capsules are the points at which bones meet the joint. Repeated impact and recruitment of the muscles around the joint capsules -- without stretching -- can cause them to get "glued up". The long-term effects are arthritis, inflammation and very limited range of movement. A common sign of a restricted joint is a "clunky" or "clicky" feeling when you move through your range of movement. You may also feel a blocking sensation at your maximum range. This differs from the more elastic sensation of stretching muscle. Hip Flexibility Team sports -- particularly football -- extensively recruit the muscles in the hip region. This is due to the quick sprinting, lateral movements and short stride lengths used. In addition, the low center of gravity needed to provide stability further recruits these muscles. As such, the muscles around the hip region become tight and the joints restricted if they are not regularly stretched. Shoulder Flexibility Lifting weights for your upper body extensively recruits your shoulder joint. It is very important to stretch between sets and exercises to prevent restricted joints and a poor "hunched" posture.
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