Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability of our joints to move through their complete range of motion. It helps our bodies to perform day to day activities such as lifting, reaching, and walking. As we journey through life, our muscles will naturally tend to lose strength and size, and the joints will experience various degrees of wear. This can lead to the body feeling stiffer, less pliable and more prone to joint sprains and muscle strains. Injuries that affect muscle function, tissue movement or excessively wear the joints, causing arthritis, can further impair flexibility.

Long commutes, desk jobs, and a more sedentary lifestyle contribute to a decline in flexibility. In general, many of the activities that we do all day compress our joints, and contract our body whether that be sitting, standing, walking, or lifting.

Some Benefits of Improving Flexibility

1. Decompresses our joints, and reduce joint stiffness

2. Reduce low back pain

3. Improve mobility

4. Reduce muscle soreness after exercise and aid in recovery

5. Reduce risk of injury

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that flexibility exercises should be done two to three days a week. Consider incorporating activities such as Tai-Chi or Yoga into your fitness regimen. Prior to doing a workout use a dynamic warm-up instead of static stretches to engage the muscles in the movements that the activity will require (example: pulling one’s knee to chest, butt kickers, high knees prior to a run). After you are done exercising consider using a foam roller to help remove lactic acid from muscles to aid in faster recovery.