Mastering Flexibility: Exercises to Improve Flexibility and Prevent Injuries

Flexibility and mobility of the body is crucial in everyday life and physical activity. Not only does it help us to perform everyday movements better, but it also improves performance and reduces the risk of injury during sports. In this article, we will introduce some simple yet effective exercises that will help you improve your body’s flexibility and enhance the range of motion of your joints so that you can move freely and safely in any activity.

Warm Up: Start Your Machine

Before any stretching or flexibility exercise, it’s important to perform a proper warm-up. Warming up prevents injuries by warming up your muscles and lubricating your joints, and prepares your body for the upcoming activity.

Warm-up exercises include:

• Jumping rope: Quickly elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow throughout your body.
• Jogging: A few minutes of easy running to get your body in shape.
• Dynamic Stretching: such as hip rotations, leg swings, and arm circles to increase joint range of motion.

Stretching: Grow Out Your Limits

Stretching is a key component to improving flexibility. Not only does it increase muscle length and joint range of motion, it also helps reduce tension and stress.

Recommended stretching exercises:

• Cat Cow Pose: Alternate arching and sinking of the back in a supported position on all fours to increase spinal flexibility.
• Butterfly Sit: Sit with the soles of your feet facing each other and knees spread outward as far as possible to stretch the inner thighs and hips.
• Shoulder Cross Stretch: Pull one arm parallel to the floor to the opposite side and secure it with the other arm to stretch the shoulders.
• Back of Leg Stretch: Sit on the floor with your legs straight and reach as far forward as you can to your toes, stretching the back of the leg muscles.

Strengthening: Building Support

Increasing muscle strength can help support and protect joints, reducing the risk of injury. Strengthening exercises that target the core, hips and lower back are especially important.

Strengthening exercises include:

• Plank Support: Support your body on your elbows and toes, keeping your body in a straight line and strengthening your core muscles.
• Bridge Pose: Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and raise your hips until they form a straight line to strengthen the gluteal and posterior chain muscle groups.
• Deep Squat: Keeping your back upright and feet shoulder-width apart, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, working your leg and gluteal muscles.

Balance: Stabilise your core

Balance exercises improve body stability and strengthen core muscles, further preventing falls and injuries.

Suggestions for balance exercises:

• Single Leg Stand: Lift one foot to keep your body balanced, you can hold an object in your hand to help beginners.
• Yoga Tree Pose: Stand with the sole of one foot attached to the inner thigh of the other leg, and keep your body balanced by folding your hands in front of your chest or raising them above your head.
• High Leg Raise: slowly raise one leg as high as you can without losing your balance, building leg muscles and core stability.

Calm down: relax your muscles and calm down

After your workout, properly relax your muscles to help your body recover and reduce muscle pain and tension.

Relaxation activities include:

• Deep Breathing: Sit or lie down and perform deep breathing exercises to relax.
• Static Stretching: Hold the stretch for a few tens of seconds to allow the muscles to completely relax.
• Massage: Use a foam shaft or massage ball to roll your muscles and relieve tightness.

Conclusion

With the consistent practice of these exercises, you will not only improve your body’s flexibility, but you will also be able to effectively prevent injuries that may occur in your daily life and in sports. Remember, everyone’s body is unique, so listen to how your body feels when doing any exercise and avoid overstretching or forcefulness. Increase the difficulty and consistency progressively and your flexibility and mobility will improve dramatically.