| Importance of Flexibility |
| Flexibility and balance are critical in achieving your peak physical potential, but they are overlooked many times. It's all about "pumping iron" Often I hear "Flexibility and balance? I'm fine in those departments. " Don't be so sure. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your balance and flexibility? Be honest! Think they're pretty good? Try these simple test. For balance , try to put your pants on without sitting on the edge of the bed. Don't hold on to anything either. How'd you do? Not as balance as you thought? Now for flexibility. After warming up sit on the floor and reach toward your toes, keeping your back straight. How far did you get? If you reached your toes or beyond, that's great! If not you need to work on fexibility. Flexibility assists our joints in moving freely through a full range of motion. In our daily lives, this enable us to tie our shoes with greater ease, or comfortably reach for things. Whether you need to get on a ladder to change a light bulb or catch a ground ball, you need strength in the core muscles, which include the abs and lower back. Today, more than half the population over the age of 74 has difficulty performing activities of daily living, such as standing, walking, bending, reaching, grasping and climbing stairs. Don't let that be your fate! Here are some suggestions to help you get limber and balanced. To improve your flexibility STRETCH. Daily stretching is recommended, but if that isn't possible, you should at least sretch all the muscle groups works after each workout. Perform 2-3 stretches per group and hold each one for 15 seconds. Always stretch to the point of mild tension, never pain. Stretching can also help alleviate chronic pain and discomfort. The lower back is a great example. Most often, low back pain is caused by tight hamstrings! Tight hamstrings can cause an exaggeration in the curve of the back, which leads to back pain. Use free weights. Machines provide artificial stabilization of the core muscles. That's not to say that there isn't a place for machines in your workout. But, if you use them on regular basis, change it up. Working with free weights forces your core muscles to stabilize your body as you isolate the muscle group you're working on. Get rid of the weight belt, don't just quit cold turkey. Wean yourself off by incorporating core exercises inton you workouts, then gradually decrease use of the belt as the core muscles get stronger. Try yoga. You guys may think that yoga is only for the ladies, but that isn't the case. yoga not only makes you more flexible but also improves your balance, because so much of the work requires core strength. |