4 good reasons to do stretching and flexibility exercises

4 good reasons to do stretching and flexibility exercises

A flexible and strong muscle is a healthy muscle. How can you prevent the passage of time from taking away your movements? Stretching exercises can help you, as they are an excellent way to maintain and regain good muscle shape.
The last thing Adela wants to do, at almost 70 years old, are those stretching exercises that bore her so much. "I do them at the doctor's orders," she complains in front of her new colleagues who keep looking at her, amazed at the flexibility and ability to adopt positions that they fail to achieve, despite the fact that they are barely past 30.

It is that, indeed, stretching exercises that are often overlooked in gyms, perhaps because they are very slow, because they are boring or because they seem unnecessary, can be extremely beneficial and, in the long term, its effects are noticeable, since they are very healthy.
Stretching exercises provide several important advantages:
1.They keep muscles and joints flexible, in addition to preparing them for movement.2.Increase the blood flow to the muscles and improve circulation. Among other benefits, for example, this allows your muscles to recover faster, in case you suffer an injury.3.The pain caused by poor posture is reduced, since stretching exercises can help the muscles to stay firm and, in this way, you can adopt healthier postures.4.Improve coordination and relieve stress.In addition, stretching exercises are essential for physical preparation and education, training, weight training, gymnastics and for any general physical activity, including daily tasks such as going up and down stairs, lifting bags from the market or bend down to look for something that has fallen under the table.

And best of all, no matter how old you are, even older adults can practice and benefit greatly from them. And although at first you find it difficult to do them or they seem impossible to achieve, over time you will notice that your muscles will give way, and when you least realize it you will have more flexibility and it will be easier for you to get on or off the train, go shopping or play with your children or grandchildren in the park.
Of course, you should always be careful when exercising, and stretching exercises are no exception, however slow they may seem. On the contrary, if you do them incorrectly you can injure yourself. When starting them, take the following precautions into account:
1Don't do stretching exercises before starting physical activity without slightly warming up your muscles. First, it is better to do smooth movements, such as walking or making circles with your arms, it depends on the type of activity that you are going to do later. Always start with smooth movements and do not accelerate.
2.While doing stretching exercises, breathe normally (don't hold your breath).
3.Listen to your body, feel the tension of the stretch and stop if it is not normal. How can you know? If it hurts, then something is wrong, gently return to your normal position (never break a stance) and try doing the exercise without straining the muscle, remember that you should not feel pain.
4.Stretch for up to 30 seconds on one side and then switch to the other side. Remember that, as in other aspects of life, balance is key. It is considered that to achieve effective results it is enough to stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. If you do it longer and you exceed yourself, you can also hurt yourself.
5.No bounces. Who hasn't tried to touch the ground with their hands while keeping their knees stretched, bouncing over and over again in search of greater stretching capacity? This is a very common example of something not to do. Bouncing during stretches is a mistake that can end in unnecessary injuries.

.Do you want some examples to start stretching right now? Well take note of these simple exercises that you can do at any time:

.For the neck and cervicals: 

with your head up, tilt one ear towards your shoulder, gently helping yourself with your hand. Then return to the center position and repeat the movement to the other side.

.For the arms: Stretch both arms next to your head, with your hands towards the ceiling. Lower one hand as if you want to touch the center of your back, while keeping your elbow pointing up. With the opposite hand, take the elbow and apply gentle pressure.

.To stretch your legs: Sit on the floor with your legs and back straight. Exhaling, he leans his chest to the floor, hands outstretched, trying to touch his thighs and knees. Stretch your arms as far forward as possible, aiming at the balls of your feet. Inhaling, return to the starting position. Then, do this exercise bringing your hands to each foot, first on one side and then the other, always going through the central position.

.You can find simple exercises like these in specialized magazines, videos, books and even on the internet. Follow the steps little by little, taking care in form and technique to avoid possible injuries. Over time, you will gain strength and flexibility. You can also consider yoga or Pilates. Both exercise systems are based on stretching and flexibility.

Now you know: Do regular stretching and you will notice the difference.