- \n
- Jessica Harris<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Read when you\u2019ve got time to spare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nMore from Stylist<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- \n
- Benefits of Walking: Is Walking Every Day Really Enough Exercise?<\/a>\n231 saves<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- How Often Should You Do HIIT? Fitness Trainers Explain Why You Should Limit Your Interval Training<\/a>\n
44 saves<\/div>\n<\/li>\n- Lower Back Pain: The Best Mobility Exercises to Stretch and Strengthen a Sore Back<\/a>\n
<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/proxy\/rOVvWOrkOrcEnN3vupijGcPnMUWIYZTGRge1khzK3LHJwyMFda0kiHbONHnR7MbEnAAAOe0ANJEpas0mKHF33yZy4fVv2QXXvPjvttusXOQGCi3AG1g=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/pocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/618da596afe03.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nPhotos by Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
We\u2019ve all been guilty of skipping stretching<\/a> after a class or workout. While we readily incorporate cardio<\/a> for enduranc<\/a>e and weights for strength<\/a>, flexibility<\/a> is often thought of as a by-product in our exercise regime. But what if\u00a0we treated stretching as the starring role<\/a>\u00a0in our training sessions, rather than\u00a0the supporting act? Stretching<\/a> is, after all, so important in helping us to prevent injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cA stretching routine<\/a> can help to keep us healthy, youthful, have good posture<\/a>, prevent injury, increase recovery and also feel better in ourselves,\u201d Suzanne Wylde, founder of Moving Stretch<\/a> and the author of Moving Stretch: Work Your Fascia to Free Your Body<\/a><\/i> tells us. That\u2019s a whole lot of benefits for a part of our fitness that tends to be overlooked.<\/p>\n
But I think a lot of us can agree that flexibility doesn\u2019t always come easy \u2013 it takes effort and practice. If you\u2019ve ever felt a pang of envy at the contortionist on the yoga mat<\/a> next to you, you\u2019ll know how frustrating it is when your body defies your will to bend and flex on command. But it\u2019s not just yogis who can benefit from limbering up. A well-stretched muscle<\/a> can more easily achieve its full range of motion, and therefore vastly improves athletic performance, Suzanne explains.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t always used to be this way. As children, we didn\u2019t think twice about kicking our legs high or spontaneously collapsing into box splits. So, what has changed?<\/p>\n
\u201cAs children we are physiologically set up for flexibility, but as we go through puberty and enter adulthood this diminishes for most of us as we become much more sedentary,\u201d Suzanne says. \u201cThe \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d adage is very relevant because as we move less, we lose not only strength and range of motion<\/a>, but experience a natural decrease in tissue quality and hydration. This also applies to our fascia<\/a>, tendons, ligaments and bones. Moving in a variety of ways throughout the day helps to circulate blood and fluid around our bodies and challenges our tissues to stay healthy and strong. If we sit for too long without that movement, we tend to become weaker, stiffer, tighter and less healthy overall.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nFrom Netflix<\/a> binges to desk-bound days, the average Brit spends 4-6 hours a day sitting<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0setting our muscle tissues in certain positions for long periods of time. This then leads to knots, aches, pains and particularly tight hip flexors and quadriceps<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cA very basic test of your tissue elasticity and hydration is to pinch your skin and see how quickly it returns to its original shape. In older people this can take as long as 20 seconds, demonstrating how much elasticity they have lost since they were children. It\u2019s this change in the hydration<\/a> and elasticity of our tissues, as well as losing the range of motion we do not regularly use, that causes us to lose flexibility as we age,\u201d Suzanne says.<\/p>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/ci4.googleusercontent.com\/proxy\/h1941Y3GN2AEj363yO24vHHhIHRXen5Ex03y6UTqGc9vuKvcb4hJTakVlXix3am7ISenYJP7Gh_O7XEd7689yNY6oIU8Ssh7janpzh3nm3Ir4Cb15Na9FAX80PAVZ7czh38dQ0qdAYguhOxPxR5EF4bUNsNWp832dIA386I2gfgNK7xT7oJWLnngJ8eJVkJBp1yIKpwsi1szfbCjty4YKgHi0Nl40sz2nBAKyVlBnwQPZ4_ju1svCIRxjSCUMm72SDSGnFsOfrS9NxsUfNCKjeGrgbzXZwGo6Cw99QEYFh4Jh4rQp1_0nFgzq0s3O6BsgfXDiQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/pocket-image-cache.com\/direct?resize=w2000&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stylist.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2F17102118%2Fstretches-chest-posture.png%3Fw%3D1200%26h%3D1%26fit%3Dmax%26auto%3Dformat%252Ccompress\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nAlthough sticking around for your post-workout stretch is always a good idea, a quick quad pull<\/a> isn\u2019t going to cut it if you want to see real results.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo maintain our flexibility<\/a>, it\u2019s not just a case of stretching our hamstrings. It\u2019s sensible to take a holistic approach,\u201d says yoga and pilates teacher Angie Newson. \u201cOur muscles need to be flexible, limber and strong so general mobilising first thing in the morning to warm the body<\/a>, followed by a simple stretching routine, will wake up the fascia (the connective tissue that surrounds our organs, muscles and blood vessels)<\/a> and muscles for the day ahead. In addition, it raises energy levels<\/a>, increases the range of joint movement and gets the blood pumping.<\/p>\n
After working out, it\u2019s a great feeling to lengthen the muscles to enhance flexibility<\/a>, promote healing and prevent injury \u2013 rather than leaving them pumped up and shortened. As a daily routine<\/a>, start by moving the spine<\/a> in all its directions, to warm up the body from your tailbone to your neck, while stretching your hips and your leg muscles to prevent back pain<\/a>. Move on to your limbs and extremities, remembering that wrists<\/a>, hands, ankles and feet need to be stretched as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
By incorporating short bursts of stretching<\/a> into our everyday life, Suzanne assures us that it will soon become second nature. \u201cHaving the right attitude is really important for making sustainable and healthy changes that will get us results that last for a long time. Approaching our body as a helpful coach rather than a bully may help us to remember that the body only changes when it feels safe<\/a>, and forcing ourselves beyond a healthy range of motion (i.e. causing pain<\/a>) is much more likely to lead to injury<\/a> than flexibility. I recommend doing a stretching session<\/a> at least three times a week, either after your workout or at any time of day \u2013 except the 40 minutes before exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nAdding resistance<\/a> to your stretching sessions strengthens you at the same time, but also engages more of your body \u2013 and therefore has a benefit on a much wider area than when you set out to stretch one muscle. Some people prefer static stretching<\/a>, where you reach as far as you can and hold. Although it can improve range of motion, I feel that you miss out on challenging your tissues which is part of what helps to keep them hydrated and elastic.\u201d<\/p>\n
To get the most out of your efforts, Angie recommends including a martial arts, ballet<\/a>, yoga, pilates<\/a> or gymnastics<\/a> class into your training schedule to challenge the muscles often neglected in cardio-based exercises<\/a>. \u201cThese types of classes also include coordination, strength<\/a> and alignment moves to strengthen our bones <\/a>and you get to really know your body better.\u201d With a little willpower and a gentle persuasion, a toe touch is well within your reach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
3 Easy Stretches to Improve Flexibility<\/strong><\/span>
\n— <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Get rid of muscle stiffness and improve flexibility with this easy three step stretching routine. 3 Easy Stretches to Improve Flexibility Jessica Harris Read when you\u2019ve got time to spare. More from Stylist Benefits of Walking: Is Walking Every Day Really Enough Exercise? 231 saves How Often Should You Do HIIT? Fitness Trainers Explain Why Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[56,804,55,1025,1],"tags":[1561,1562,1563],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47755"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47756,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47755\/revisions\/47756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.nahtnow.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- How Often Should You Do HIIT? Fitness Trainers Explain Why You Should Limit Your Interval Training<\/a>\n
- Benefits of Walking: Is Walking Every Day Really Enough Exercise?<\/a>\n