The Importance of Flexibility

What is flexibility?

People generally associate flexibility with moving easily or bending down and touching your toes, It isn't just that. It entails the ability to move freely with a greater range of motion and enhanced balance. It tends to lower your chance of injuries and falls. It is an important component for people to perform everyday tasks easily, however, if you are an athlete or fitness enthusiast then you need to devote some extra training time to focus on your flexibility. 

Benefits of Flexibility

Flexibility can benefit people of all ages and lifestyles, it is not only important for your physical health but also your overall well-being. It is extremely beneficial for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, older people whose flexibility decreases over time, and people with certain medical conditions like arthritis. Other people who can benefit from it are those who generally spend their entire day sitting like office workers or couch potatoes, and overall adults so they can perform their daily activities with ease. 

Apart from improving your daily function and increasing your range of motion other benefits of flexibility include 

• Fewer chances of injuries, as having flexibility will help your joints move freely and lead to improved balance, thus preventing the risk of injury. 
• It leads to better posture, reducing the risk of back and neck pains, and will help allow your body to have proper alignment. 
• It also leads to improved communication between your brain and muscles to help movement and increase muscle blood flow both of which will enable muscles to work effectively. This in turn can improve your overall physical performance.
• Improving flexibility also helps you achieve mental benefits which include promoting relaxation and reducing stress. 
• It also boosts your energy level and keeps you energized throughout the day. 
• Overall, it can improve your cognitive flexibility which can make decision-making or problem-solving easier for you.

How to Improve Flexibility

Limited flexibility leads to stiffness or tight muscles making it difficult for you to perform daily acts that include bending or continuous standing. It can also lead to posture problems and the stiff limbs are more likely to increase the risk of injury.

Also, a thing that causes a lot of issues is that if you are feeling limited flexibility in one part of your body that can cause issues on other parts. If you have a problem in your back that can lead to poor posture and that can lead to pain in the neck and shoulders. 

So, To improve flexibility it comes down to two simple things, daily practice and regular exercise. Being consistent in these two can gradually improve your flexibility and help you accomplish the above-mentioned benefits. The exercises can include simple stretching, yoga, or Pilates.

Incorporating static stretches which are holding one position and dynamic stretches which are controlled movements, both are important. For stretching target the specific muscle groups throughout your body like the neck, shoulders, lower back, etc.