One thing that is important to improve physical fitness is flexibility. You can gain this skill with flexibility exercises like yoga or floor exercises. Flexibility exercises not only allow the body to move more flexibly but also provide several other health benefits. anything?
Benefits of flexibility training
Flexibility is the body’s ability to maximally exercise joint space, or body space.
That means flexibility exercises help you move your body freely.
Here are the benefits you get from doing flexibility exercises.
1. Improve muscle condition
Flexibility or flexibility exercises increase blood flow. This allows the muscles to be supplied with blood containing oxygen and essential nutrients.
Therefore, the condition of the muscles can be maintained and recover faster after intense activities.
Stretching movements in flexibility exercises are also good for maxing out the muscles on each side.
This allows the joints to move more freely in all directions. The effect, of excess pressure on the muscles, is also reduced.
2. Maintain body balance
There are balance sports that focus on keeping the body stable.
But who would have thought that the benefits of flexibility training could also keep the body balanced?
A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine (2014) found that flexibility exercises twice a week can improve balance in older people.
This is because the joints in the hips can move more freely.
Also, the lower spine becomes stronger, allowing the elderly to regulate their body balance. It even reduces the risk of falling.
3. Reduce the risk of injury
One of the flexibility exercises, stretching, offers benefits in the form of reducing the risk of sports injuries.
Stretching is usually done during warm-up to increase core body temperature.
This increase in body temperature makes muscles more flexible, so they are less likely to be overstretched, sprained, or torn.
A study published in Healthcare (2016) also states that stretching exercises require that you increase the range of muscles, joints, and tendons as much as possible.
Being trained allows you to be more flexible so you don’t experience pain or injury during daily activities like bending over or picking up objects in high positions.
Warm-up tips
When warming up, the stretch chosen should be dynamic stretching; H. a stretch in which joints and muscles are continuously actively moved at the same time.
4. Improve Posture
Daily activities often make you forget to move with proper posture.
In addition, the daily routine is carried out in the same way, e.g. B. constant sitting.
As a result, some joints and muscles are overloaded while others are not working optimally. As a result, muscles and joints become stiff and painful.
Flexibility exercises maximize muscle and joint movement so that everything works in a balanced way and is no longer too little or too much.
To do this exercise, you need to stretch your body as much as possible.
This stretch helps keep your posture good.
5. Improve athletic performance
Flexibility training can certainly be incorporated into your everyday physical activity.
As a flexibility exercise, stretching allows muscles, joints, and muscles to move within the maximum range.
This makes it easier for you to follow complex movement sequences during sports. In addition, body movements become more agile and faster.
The benefits of this flexibility training allow you to train better so your performance increases.
If you can exercise well, you can get the full benefits of exercise even more.
6. Reduce pain
Tight muscles make the body sore. This can even affect movement during activities.
This condition usually occurs in people who work by sitting for long periods.
The benefits of regular flexibility exercises help reduce stiff muscles so they can relieve pain.
This condition is even good for people with chronic neck or lower back pain.
The benefits of this exercise can also reduce the occurrence and severity of muscle spasms.
A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy (2018) states that long-term flexibility exercises are more effective than sitting in an upright position while working for pain relief.
7. Maintain overall body health
Flexibility exercises like yoga are good for overall body health. Why?
The benefits of flexibility exercises help improve blood flow. This lowers blood pressure and makes the heart rate more stable.
Movement in flexibility exercises also helps counteract the body’s response to stress such as muscle tightness.
A normal heart rate and blood pressure can also have an impact on stress reduction.
In addition, yoga promotes calm and sharpens concentration.
The mind becomes more relaxed and clear. So you can go about your daily activities with full awareness.
The benefits of flexibility exercises are good for both body and mind health.
Done long-term, this exercise can even relieve chronic pain and reduce the risk of reduced mobility in older people.
To perform the exercises, you can try yoga, floor exercises, or various stretching movements.
How to train for optimal benefits
To get the maximum benefit from training, you need to maintain the duration of the training and combine aerobic exercise and muscle strength training.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, adults ages 18 to 64 should engage in cardio exercises, such as aerobic exercise, at a moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes per week.
At this length, you’re already feeling the fitness benefits of regular exercise.
In general, you can split the training activity 5 times a week with a duration of 30 minutes each day.
But once you get used to it, you can increase the intensity or duration of the exercise as needed.
The WHO also recommends doing muscle strength training at least 2 or more times per week for additional health benefits.
If you have not exercised for a long time or have certain health conditions, you should consult your doctor first to minimize the risk of injury while exercising.
The benefits of exercise are certainly good for physical and mental health in general.
To reap the benefits of this physical activity, you should exercise regularly. A sudden stop in training harms the body.