Improving Flexibility

There are three major components of fitness:  strength, cardiovascular condition and flexibility.  Of these, flexibility is the most often overlooked, yet it is the root of many of the ailments that bring clients into my office.  The good news is, one can improve their flexibility at any age by incorporating simple muscle stretches into their daily routine. 

Think how little we stretch compared to the dogs and cats that we often keep as pets.  If we took our cue from our pets, and stretched when they did, as a massage therapist, I'd be out of a job!  

The benefits of improving flexibility include:

The definition of flexibility is the farthest range of motion you can achieve around a joint.   Every joint of the human skeleton has specific maximum degrees of movement.  The muscle surrounding each joint can further limit the range of motion.  

Muscle fibers have two main attributes:  plastic (the ability to stretch) and elastic (the ability to return to normal).  The degree of movement of the joint will be limited by the plasticity of those muscle fibers.  This is why achieving a good balance of plasticity and elasticity of muscle tissue through stretching is vital to good health.

In addition to the physical limits of the joint based on the bone structure, range of motion can also be reduced by excessive muscle or fat mass as extra body tissue simply gets in the way of the movement of the joint.  Your state of hydration can limit range of motion as the lack of water reduces the plastic and elastic properties of muscle and other connective tissue.  The time of the day also affects flexibility. In the morning muscle tissue is not warm enough from daily activity to be able to achieve maximum range.

Recent injury will also limit flexibility of an associated joint.  As the injury heals, the additional stress of stretching will cause pain.  Do not stretch muscles in the area of injury, especially with inflammation, redness, or sharp pain associated with movement of the joint.  These symptoms should prompt you to seek medical assistance.

The key to safe and effective stretching is all in the form and technique.  To learn more about how to stretch, click here.

 

Home   Wellness Tips    Staying Hydrated   Allergies   Mind-Body   Brush Massage   Improving Flexibility   How to Stretch