Regular stretching utilizing a
variety of flexibility training techniques helps to improve overall function by ensuring that the body can more effectively respond to the stresses imposed by various types of movement and activity.
Then pair that balanced diet with a diverse exercise
routine of flexibility training, cardio and resistance training to help you reach your healthy weight, and then maintain it.
Dynamic stretching is a
type of flexibility training were you stretch while moving and gradually increases the range and speed of these movements.
Did you know flexibility training can improve your workouts and sporting perform Learn the
sectets of flexibility training and you will be able to do the full splits in six weeks and the grace you moved with as a child will return.
The Next Day After your first
day of flexibility training you will feel very sore in the leg and hip areas if you are not used to stretching.
Although there are 6 types
of flexibility training used by sports coaches to develop specific goals, most people really only need to know about dynamic, static passive and isometric stretching and which one to use in the warm up and cool down phase of a workout.
Static passive stretching is a form
of flexibility training where you assume and then hold the stretched position using only the weight of your body, the support of your limbs, or some other apparatus such as a chair.
This method
of flexibility training involves taking a specific joint or set of joints through a ROM to a comfortable end point (at least 20 seconds), resting for approximately 20 seconds, and then repeating the stretch two to three times.
Relaxed or (passive) stretching which is the
type of flexibility training that should conclude all workouts can speed up post recovery because after strenuous exercise the length of your muscles will shorten and it can take several hours for the length to return to normal.
«Yoga has got to be one of the best
forms of flexibility training, incorporating core stability and strength with tough flexibility sessions,» suggests Ruys.
PNF tightly combines isometric and static stretching to create a more advanced form
of flexibility training that involves both the stretching and contraction of the targeted muscle.
You should never use static passive stretching during your warm up because for a few minutes after doing a static passive stretch your flexibility is reduced which means you are more likely to tear a muscle during the demanding part of the workout if you have preceded it with this type
of flexibility training.
It is also true that after static passive stretching your coordination is temporarily reduced, your heart rate and respiratory system slows down (The complete opposite of what you want your warm up to achieve) and instead of increasing your readiness for physical exertion this type
of flexibility training is more likely to make you feel sleepy which is why it should be used as part of a cool down.
Two main methods
of flexibility training (static and dynamic) can be used, but all types of flexibility training will be more effective after a thorough warm - up, when the body temperature is elevated.
There are many methods
of flexibility training that promote relaxation, such as yoga, meditation, Pilates, tai chi, visualization, and breathing.
It is best suited to noncompetitive clients or as a complement to other methods
of flexibility training.