Flexibility is very important in sports and even in general physical endeavors. With improved flexibility, the joints of the body gain a greater range of motion. This allows the joints to be more impervious to injury. This is because with a longer range of motion, the joint will be able to endure a lot more force before it eventually breaks and cause injury.
To
improve flexibility, an athlete or any normal person can utilize several flexibility exercises. In general, there are two main types of flexibility exercises: dynamic flexibility exercises and static flexibility exercises.
Dynamic flexibility exercises are best done during warm ups before engaging in the main workout or before the start of a game. This type of flexibility exercises are more inclined to reduce the stiffness in muscles than static
flexibility exercises, thus they are very important in preventing muscle tear during competition and heavy workouts. Some examples of dynamic stretches are side bends and full back stretches.
To perform a side bend, stand at attention with your legs shoulder width apart and your hands holding on to a toning bar that is resting across your shoulders. Lean to the left while keeping your body facing forward. Hold this position for 2-4 counts then repeat the movement on the right side. As its name suggests, bend only to the sides; do not bend your body forward or backward. 10 stretches for each side will be good enough.
A full back stretch is performed on the floor while lying on your back and with your knees close to your chest and your hands clasped under them. Roll your body forward up to the point where your feet land on the floor. Roll back to your original position to complete 1 roll. Complete 12-15 rolls to complete the stretch.
Static flexibility exercises on the other hand are exercises that are more suited to increasing the full range of motion of the joints and muscles. These exercises are best done after a light aerobic session to warm up the joints and the muscles.
There are two types of static flexibility exercises. The first one is Active Static flexibility exercises while the second one is Passive Static flexibility exercises.
Active static flexibility exercises are exercises that use the tension from the agonist muscle in order to stretch the antagonist muscle. An example of this
type of flexibility exercise is the leg raise. A leg raise is performed by holding one leg in front of the body high enough so as to stretch the hamstring muscle. In this position, the hamstring is the antagonist muscle while the quadriceps are the agonist muscles because they are the ones holding the leg up to stretch the hamstring. If the leg is raised and then rested on an object such as a stability ball, the exercise becomes a passive static flexibility exercise because the agonist muscles are no longer used to stretch the antagonist muscles.
Another example of a static flexibility exercise is the triceps stretch. To perform a triceps stretch, place your hand at the back of your head with your elbows pointing up. Use your other hand to slowly pull on the raised elbow toward your head. Once you feel the stretch in your triceps, stop pulling and hold the position for 5-10 counts. Slowly release the elbow toward the starting position and repeat the procedure on the other tricep.
