10 Sports moves to achieve flexibility & bull; hello healthy

Although there have been many studies that show the benefits of exercise for physical fitness and mind, the focus on exercise to train flexibility seems less public attention.

Why is it important to have a flexible body?

Doctors and physical therapists agree that flexibility is an important part of keeping the body in good shape to keep it functioning optimally. "Flexibility is the third pillar of fitness after cardio and muscle strength training," said David Geier, Director of Sports Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, and a spokesman for the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, reported by Real Simple.

A flexible body can help you achieve the most optimal level of fitness, prevent injury, and even act as a protective shield against various troublesome conditions, such as arthritis and other serious ailments.

When you stretch a muscle, it means that you are also extending the reach of the tendons or muscle fibers, which attach the muscles to the bones. The longer the tendon, the easier it will be for you to increase muscle size as you do strength training. This means that flexible muscles have the potential to become strong muscles too.

Building strong muscle fibers will encourage the body's metabolism work and overall body fitness level. Flexible muscles can also make it easier for you to carry out your daily routine and lower your risk of injury.

Repetitive habits, such as slouching while working at a computer, can shorten the reach of some muscles. This, if coupled with a decrease in natural muscle elasticity due to age, can make it difficult for you.

Quick or spontaneous movements, such as catching a glass that is about to fall, can pull your muscles beyond their limits. As a result, it is easy for you to sprains or sprains. Having a flexible body can make it easier for you to adapt to external factors that cause physical stress.

10 types of sports movements to flex the body

The exercise movements below can easily train flexibility but are quite effective. Do this movement once or twice a day or whenever you start exercising.

1. Hip Flexor / Quad Stretch

Stretch your hips, quads, and hamstrings

Kneel on the floor with your knees bent, shins touching the floor. Swing your right leg forward so that your right knee is bent 90 degrees in front of you. While the right foot is firmly on the ground, exactly parallel below the right knee and the left leg is still bent horizontally against the floor, parallel to your right leg.

Put both hands on your right knee and press your hips forward, leaning back to stretch while keeping your upper body straight. Hold for 30 seconds, release. Repeat three reps, then switch legs and repeat from the beginning.

2. Bridge with Leg Reach

Stretches your chest, abs, hips, glutes, and legs

Lie on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees with your feet firmly flat on the floor, and place your hands straight at your sides. Lift and extend your right leg in front of you, then slowly raise your hips upward until you form a diagonal line from your right knee to your right shoulder, pressing your upper back against the floor and pushing your chest up. Raise your right leg even higher, then lower it. Do 10 reps, and hold the last rep for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

3. Seated Trunk Twist

Stretch your back, abdominal, and oblique muscles

Sit up straight on the floor, tighten your abdominal muscles, and place your legs together and extend in front of your body. Rotate the ribs to the right, keeping the nose parallel to the sternum and the abdominal muscles still contracting. Lift the ribs away from the hips to rotate them further to the right, so that the upper torso appears to be higher up, rotating them as far as you can. Back to the middle; repeat rotating torso to the left to complete one set. Repeat 10 sets, holding the last body twist for 30 seconds each side

4. Foldover Stretch

Stretch your neck, back, glutes, hamstrings and calves

Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands at your sides. Exhale as you bend forward from your hips, keeping your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed. Wrap your hands behind your calves and hold for as long as you can from 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Bend your knees and slowly straighten them back.

If you feel uncomfortable bending that far, bend your knees more deeply and / or place your hands on an elevated surface, such as a yoga block.

5. Butterfly Stretch

Stretches the muscles of the neck, back, glutes, hamstrings, thighs

Sit up straight on the floor with your feet bent inward from your knees, as if you were going to cross-legged, bring your feet together (knees sticking out of your body). Grip the soles of your feet with your hands, tighten your abdominal muscles, and slowly push your torso forward toward the soles of your feet, as far as you can go. Hold for 45 seconds to 2 minutes, releasing if you feel you can't take it anymore.

If this pose is uncomfortable for you, support your buttocks with a few piles of blankets to support your hips, then repeat.

6. Lower Back and glutes

Stretch your upper, lower back and glutes

Lie on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees with your feet firmly flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your thighs and pull your legs in toward your chest. Keep pulling until you can feel a little resistance. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to starting position

Still lying down, stretch your legs forward. Bend one leg and push your heel toward your butt. Reach your ankles with one hand and knees with the other. Slowly pull your leg diagonally toward the opposite shoulder, until you feel a little resistance. Hold for 30 seconds, return to starting position. Switch legs and repeat.

7. Swan Stretch

Stretches the muscles of the shoulders, back, chest, abs, oblique, hip flexors

Lie on your stomach with your hands in front of your shoulders, fingers facing forward, your legs stretched slightly behind you. Tightening your abdominal muscles, relaxing your shoulders, and your hips flat on the floor, lift your upper body lengthwise and away from the floor - reaching for the sky from the top of your head. Pull on both shoulder blades to open the chest. Hold for 30-45 seconds, release. Repeat five times.

8. Reclining Pigeon

Stretches your lower back, hips, glutes, and hamstrings

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your right leg and cross it over your left thigh, hook your hands behind your left thigh, and lift your left leg up while keeping your back and shoulders flat on the floor. Slowly, pull your right leg toward your chest until you feel a little tension; hold for about 45 seconds to 2 minutes, as long as you can. Release slowly starting from the lower back. Then swap legs, and repeat.

9. Quadriceps

Stretch the front and side muscles of the thigh

Get on your knees and leave enough distance between your legs so you can sit between them. Grab your hands behind your body and lean back as far as you can, while feeling the tension build up in your quadriceps muscles. Hold for 30 seconds, and release.

10. Standing Thigh Release

Stretches your back, abs, hips, glutes, and quads

Stand straight with your abs tight, hands at your sides. Swing your right leg back and grasp the sole of your right foot with your right hand (heel position toward your buttocks). Raise your left hand straight above your head (or place it on a chair) to keep your body in balance. Press your right leg into your hand to increase the tension along the quadriceps. Hold the position for 1 minute, release, then switch legs and repeat.

Apart from making it easier for you to adapt to your daily routine and prevent injury, flexibility exercises can also improve blood circulation to the muscles. Having good blood circulation can help protect you from various diseases, diabetes, to kidney disease. More optimal body flexibility has even been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular problems due to reduced stiffness in the arterial muscle walls, thereby lowering the chance of strokes and heart attacks.