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The FLEX in FLEXibility (March 11, 2010)
By Inshape | March 11, 2010
Flexibility improves strength training & weight loss success!
by Carmen Jerome, inSHAPE trainer, massage therapist, nutrition student
Flexibility is defined as the ability for joints to move though their full range of motion pain free. So what does it have to do with your strength training and weight loss programs?
Well, for starters, improving your flexibility will help reduce post workout muscle soreness allowing you to workout harder, longer, and more often. When you contract a muscle against a resistance (i.e.dumbbells, resistance bands, ect) the muscle shortens. This repetition of intense muscle activity often only takes the muscle through part of its full range of motion and allows lactic acid to build up in the tissue. By the end of the set the muscle ‘forgets’ how ‘long’ it is and if its not stretched, the muscle stores that lactic acid causing post exercise soreness.
Improving flexibility also enhances the promotion of muscular development and improves muscular balance. As you exercise, the strenuous activity often causes damage to the muscles connective tissue. Stretching allows the muscle tissue to be realigned. Post exercise stretching also increases blood flow and nutrient transportation to the muscles speeding up the recovery process and encouraging proper muscular development. When you don’t stretch, the damaged tissues can heal at the ‘shorter’ length inhibiting efficient blood flow, decreasing muscular development and contributing to post workout soreness.
Not only is flexibility important to the success of your workout program, it is also required for all daily activities such as walking, sitting, and bending. As you age, muscle tissue tends to lose its natural suppleness and flexibility making them more prone to tears, aches, and pains. The lack of flexibility can also lead to permanent changes in posture, normal muscle function, and joint health.
Finally, a greater range of motion, obtained by stretching, reduces the degeneration of joints (i.e. flexible hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps reduce stress on the low back). Your joints were designed to move, so limiting movement creates muscle imbalances stressing the joints and causing them to weaken and deteriorate. Weak joints further limit your range of motion leading to increasingly weaker joints creating an endless cycle that leads to diseases such as arthritis. The best way to prevent this cycle is to start adding some flexibility into your workout routines.
Convinced? Ready to improve your chances for success? Here are a few tips to get you started:
. *Perform balanced stretching. This means you should always stretch the muscles on both sides of your body evenly, front and back, left and right. (i.e. Quadriceps and Hamstrings)
. *Avoid over-stretching. You will feel slight tension or a pull on the muscle at the peak of the stretch but you should never push it to a point of pain or discomfort.
. *Go slow! Always stretch slowly and evenly. Hold the stretch for about fifteen seconds and release slowly as well.
. *Never bounce or jerk while stretching. This can cause injury as a muscle is pushed beyond instability. All stretches should be smooth, and slow.
. *Don’t forget to breathe. Flexibility exercises should be relaxing. Deep, easy, even breathing is key to relaxation. Never hold your breath while you stretch.
. *Ask your In Shape Trainer or Therapist for help starting a self -stretch routine to add to your daily activities.
The team at inSHAPE is committed to helping you develop and maintain a long-term program of fitness that suits your lifestyle, abilities, and interests. Sign up for free review of your health history and complimentary workout or give us a call (212.362.1001) so that we can help you and your heart stay fit and healthy. Have a great week and if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please send us a note to info@inshapellc.com, call 212.362.1001, or visit our website at www.inshapellc.com.
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