Flexibility is incredibly important in terms of injury prevention and general wellness.
Here are 8 tips to help boost your bendiness:
- Include 20-30 minutes of stretching into your daily Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym routine.
- Breathe through it. The most important element of stretching is your breath. Breathe deeply to resolve tension and strain. Send the breath to areas of tightness to dissolve tension. Really use your breath when stretching! It makes a world of difference.
- Try the contract and relax method. During your stretch sessions at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville athletic club, do some muscle contractions. Hold the contractions for 20 to 30 seconds. Then, release and keep on stretching. Doing this allows your body to move beyond its edge and go even deeper into the stretch.
- Repetition is key. Make stretching an integral part of your routine at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville health center – both dynamic stretching and static stretching.
- Do dynamic stretching first. While at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville health club, it’s always best to do dynamic stretches first i.e. walking lunges, leg swings, etc.
- Do static stretching last. After a full workout, take long, deep holds (2 minutes is a good hold time) in each stretch to really take your flexibility to new levels.
- Do yoga. Yoga is probably the ultimate form of exercise to enhance both your strength and flexibility simultaneously. Try a Greenville yoga class to switch things up. Pilates, also available at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville sports club, is a great flexibility-enhancing option as well!
- Keep moving. During your everyday routine, make an effort to get up and move around every hour or so. Sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time increases the tightness of your muscles, especially in your hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves. So, get up and walk around or do some light, gentle stretches to loosen up. Suggested stretches: Rag Doll Pose, Downward Facing Dog, and Child’s Pose.