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Why exercise for flexibility?

Exercising for flexibility is often ignored because its benefits aren’t immediately obvious – whereas after a short while everyone can feel or see the benefits of aerobic exercise and resistance exercises.

But flexibility exercises are essential for:
* Prevention of injuries

* Maintenance of mobility as we age

* Rehabilitation after injury.

Lack of flexibility can cause injury – even in experienced sportspeople. So it’s vital to keep up these exercises alongside the aerobic and resistance exercises. In fact most people unknowingly include exercises for flexibility in their normal exercise routine – for instance these exercises make up most of the ‘warm-up’ and ‘warm down’ exercises and stretches like :

  • Shoulder circles

  • Arm circles

  • Side bends

  • Trunk twists

  • Upper back stretches

  • Chest stretch

  • Neck stretches

  • Squats

  • Calf stretches

  • Hip and thing stretches

  • Hamstring stretches

  • Hip stretches

  • Quadriceps (thigh muscle) stretches.

Stretching exercises

Maintaining or improving your flexibility is relatively easy as long as you do the stretching exercises well, for long enough (it takes between 15 and 20 minutes to go through the exercises listed here) and do them regularly (two to three times a week). Stick to the following rules to ensure that your flexibility training program is effective and safe.

  1. Perform the movements slowly.

  2. Stop when you feel a gentle stretch sensation.

  3. Never bounce at the end of a stretch.

  4. The stretches should never feel painful – if they do, stop and get checked out by your Chartered Physiotherapist or Doctor.

If you have or are suffering from a back problem, only do the stretches if you have been checked out by your chartered physiotherapist or doctor and given specific advice to do so.