Stretch it out!
Though often neglected by regular exercisers, flexibility is an important component of any health-related fitness program. Flexibility refers to the ability of joint and surrounding muscles to move through a specific range of motion with ease and without pain. So what can flexibility training do for you?
- Improve the efficiency and ease of your daily activities such as bending, reaching, squatting and stepping over things
- Improve your posture
- Reduce your risk of injury (especially those related to sport and physical activity)
- Improve your mood as a result of decreased muscle tension
- Facilitate your overall mental and physical relaxation
- Unify your mind, body and spirit
- Stress reduction
In general, flexibility training should be performed at least two to three days per week. However, if you are working to change dysfunctional movement patterns and muscular imbalances, we will assess your current flexibility status and then design a program for you. The flexibility program designed for you at PAARTS will likely become a part of your daily routine until normal length and tension ratios have been restored, at which time we will recommend a flexibility maintenance program for you. When flexibility activities are performed at the optimal frequency and with proper technique, significant gains can be made.
Flexibility improvements can be affected by several factors:
- Age
- Gender
- Type of joint
- Exercise history
- Temperature
- Body build
- Resistance training
- Pregnancy