How to develop your flexibility?

Gymnasts, dancers or even athletes are considered to be the most flexible athletes. Others, like rugby players/women or footballers tend to be stiff as a stick. However, flexibility can be worked on a daily basis and can save you from certain injuries.

Indeed, being flexible will facilitate the protection of your joints and your body system in general. The older you get, the more your muscles lose length. Without stretching or flexibility, you will tend to wear out your human body more quickly. That’s why a few very simple daily techniques can help. For sports performance enthusiasts, your flexibility will make you gain ground!

How to do ?

Flexibility work can be done during warm-up (pre-stretching) or during cool-down (post-stretching). It breaks down into two parts: joint mobility and stretching capacity. It corresponds to the ability to perform large amplitude movements in an active or passive way. It also allows you to adopt a good posture, improve your well-being and your physical performance. Different factors are involved in the development of this quality such as age, sex, genetic heritage, outside temperature, health… To work on it, you have to do flexibility and stretching exercises.

Stretching, what is it for?

For example, in the evening before going to bed, take 10 to 15 minutes to loosen up. And we assure you that if you do it every day, you will feel the difference! Here are some examples of exercises that will allow you, in the long term, to perform gestures of greater amplitude:

– legs and adductors: start lying on your right side, bend your right knee and right elbow to be more stable. Grab your left foot by the arch of the foot, knee behind the elbow and straighten your leg by pulling the foot backwards. Do it right then left.

Another very useful exercise for the adductors will be to do the butterfly. Sit on the floor, legs bent to the sides, knees down. Press down on your knees so that it touches the floor. If you can’t do this, don’t force it, but go for a gentle stretch.

– arms : standing, feet hip-width apart, arms stretched vertically above the head. One hand holds the wrist of the other. Bend the elbows and pull the arm held by the wrist so that the forearm goes behind the head.

– back : start standing, both legs parallel and stretched. Gently and gradually roll your back forward, head relaxed, trying to put your hands on the ground.

Another exercise, on the floor, can also do the trick. In a lying position on the ground, put your two feet behind your head, rolling your back. As if you wanted to do a back flip.

– shoulders: simply slide one hand behind the head over the opposite shoulder blade. Hang up the other hand from below. Pull your arm down to fully stretch your shoulder. Don’t worry, there is bound to be one side that is more difficult than the other.

Sport to be more flexible

In addition to these exercises, certain sports activities can also help you develop your flexibility. Gentle activities such as yoga and stretching will be the most effective. Through multiple postures, yoga in all its forms (yin yoga, yoga nidra, bikram yoga, kundalini yoga, hatha yoga…) will truly make you more flexible. In the same way, stretching will have a beneficial effect for your body but it will also strengthen your tendons and joints. So, ready to do the splits?