Flexibility Exercises for Beginners 5 flexibility exercises that you can do anytime to give you some get up and go
Hello and welcome to your free Flexibility Exercises. Flexibility is needed to perform everyday activities. It s needed to get out of bed, doing the household chores & lifting the kids and or grand kids. Flexibility tends to gets worse with age, often due to a sedentary lifestyle. Without enough flexibility, daily activities become more difficult to perform. Over time we get into a routine of sitting a certain way, or standing a certain way and this can decrease the mobility of joints. Staying active and stretching regularly help prevent this loss of mobility, which ensures independence as we age. An added benefit of flexibility is decreasing the effects of back pain that affects us all at some point. Flexibility is important and should be included in any fitness routine you pursue. An added benefit is that it may reduce your chances of having a minor injury. It is a way to actively relax both mentally and physically after a training session. It reduces tension and stress in the exercised muscles. Flexibility also promotes good posture. Proper posture decreases stress and increases the strength of your joints. As you can see, now you probably know why I decided to give you these free flexibility exercises. It is such an important part of any exercise routine that unfortunately is neglected. I decided to start you off on the right foot. Enjoy. P.S. A common question is How long do I hold a stretch for? and the answer ranges from 15 to 30 seconds. For beginners maybe even 10 seconds is enough and gradually increase.
Butterfly Stretch Body Part: Trunk, Hips Target Muscles: Trunk, Hip Extensors Bring yourself to a sit on the floor, preferably on an exercise mat, and maintain the natural curve of your spine. Once you are relaxed begin to turn both hips outward while at the same time bending your knees. Grasping both legs, slightly above the ankle, bring your feet together. Do this until you feel tension but no pain even if the stretch isn t totally complete. With practice and continuity you will achieve it.
Four Point Lat Stretch Body Part: Shoulder Girdle Target Muscles: Shoulder Extensors While kneeling down move your upper body forward, with arms stretched until you re hands are face down on the mat and you are support your body with your hands and knees. Start to move your hips back slightly, as if you were going to rest your glutes (backside) on your legs. Stop this backwards motion of the hips until your shoulders and arms are stretched to their limit, feeling tension, but not pain. Hold for as long as possible then rest. Repeat if you can without pain.
Hip External Rotator Stretch Body Part: Hips Target Muscles: Hip External Rotators Sit in a comfortable position with legs stretched in front of you. When comfortable, stretch one leg and bend the desired hip and knee across the opposite leg while maintaining the natural curvature of the spine. Hold the stretch of the desired leg with your hands joined slightly below the knee. Again do this while feeling tension but no pain.
Standing Calf Stretch Body Part: Ankles Target Muscles: Plantar Flexors While standing straight, extend one in front of you as if you were taking a walking stride forward. Slightly bend the knee of the leg that you just extended in front of you. Stretch as much as possible the which is behind you while resting your hands just above the bent knee, which is in front of you.
Standing Quadriceps Stretch Body Part: Knees Target Muscles: Knee Extensors While standing straight, bend the desired knee while grasping the leg being bent just above the ankle. Then bring the heel up to the glutes and hold. You can also achieve a more stable stance while performing the stretch by placing the opposite hand face down against a wall (or tree trunk haha).