As you age, your muscles naturally lose strength and size and can become less supple and stiffer. This can affect the range of movement around your joints, which may lead to stiffness in the muscles and joints. It is this loss of tissue elasticity that can cause muscles and joints to tighten up.

One of the key reasons that muscles lose their natural suppleness and flexibility and can become prone to tears, aches, and pains is being inactive. If the situation is not remedied in time, loss of flexibility could lead to permanent changes in posture and normal muscle function. It is therefore imperative to maintain muscle flexibility as an important component of overall fitness.

So, what exactly is flexibility?

Flexibility can be termed as the ability of your joints and body parts to execute their full range of motion. Flexibility is required in all your day-to-day activities such as bending, walking, lifting, etc. Being flexible allows your muscles to remain moble. But, like most things, flexibility decreases with age and it is very important to include flexibility exercises in your daily workout regimen.

The Benefits of Flexibility

There are a number of ways to test your flexibility. One of the most common ways, according to fitness experts, is to check if you can touch your toes while standing up with both legs straight. (You could check out various fitness sites available online for a more exact test.) If you find that you feel stiff, lacking in flexibility, suffering from bad posture or would like to increase your flexibility to improve your normal exercise routine, flexibility training is a must. Aerobic exercises and weight training include rapid and jerky movements, which can lead to joint and muscle fatigue. On the other hand, stretching exercises, yoga, and Pilates consist of gradual movements that can help to achieve greater flexibility.

Other Benefits

Being flexible helps to reduce soreness of muscles and improve posture. Stretching for slow gradual movements and holding each position for up to 30 seconds (without pain) helps reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Stretching also improves muscular balance and posture by realigning tissue and thereby reducing the effort it takes to maintain good posture throughout the day.Helps decrease risk of injury and improve physical performance. Flexible joints require less energy to move through a greater range of motion. This decreases your overall risk of injury and increases physical performance as well. Stretching works towards decreasing resistance in muscle tissue during any activity. Helps increase blood and nutrients to tissues. By stretching, you increase the temperature of your tissues and this increases transportation of nutrients and overall circulation. This in turn increases the range of motion and reduces degeneration of your joints.Helps reduce lower back pain. Stretching helps relax muscles. The more flexible your pelvic muscles, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps, the less stress to your lower back. Helps to enhance enjoyment of other exercise. In addition to decreasing soreness and fatigue of your muscles, stretching also helps relax both mind and body during any activity or exercise.

Ways to Improve Your Flexibility

So, what are some different ways to stay flexible? The best way to maintain flexibility is to stretch regularly. Whatever your age, you must incorporate stretching at least once a day. Even if it is not part of an exercise regimen, there are several simple stretching exercises that you can do at your desk or even in front of the TV. If time is short, focus on stretches that work the larger muscle groups such as shoulders, hamstrings, hips and lower back, and calf muscles. It is these areas that are prone to stiffness and soreness as we grow older. But remember to always be careful to not overdo it.

Flexibility exercises should also be incorporated into your normal exercise program, which may involve resistance (strength) training and cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, swimming and cycling). By doing so, you can improve both the quantity and quality of your muscles, joints and overall health.That being said, yoga is an effective way to complement your exercise routine for greater flexibility. Unlike most other physical exercise that work only on a physical level, yoga involves both your mental and physical capabilities. There is a balance of energy between the body and the brain as well as increasing your flexibility, toning your muscles, and improving your lung capacity. All basic yoga poses work towards increasing the flexibility of the body so that it is capable of performing more complicated poses as time goes by. It would be wise therefore to incorporate yoga as a regular part of your workout program.

There are several ways to improve your flexibility. Stretching and exercise help considerably but you also need to keep an eye on your diet and nutrition. Eating junk food and snacking on fatty and sugary snacks can make matters worse. You can promote fitness by combining a balanced diet (full of fresh fruits and vegetables) along with nutritional supplements that support joint health and improve your mobility. Taking a supplement like GoFlex can help you incorporate the nutritional building blocks required to support healthy bone and cartilage structure and improve flexibility. Ask your doctor whether a supplement, like GoFlex, is the right choice for you.

wow you know what i just realised? (and lol, dont ask me how ive JUST realised this lol… seriously…it sometimes takes me a while to catch up haha)

yes, im a healthy weight and BMI now (yay for me), and i have good stats, and im fitter and slimmer and healthier than ive ever been before, oh, and stronger (physically at least lol)

but flexible? haha, yeah right!! i am totally not at all flexible. im stiff as a board some days, and hey, that cant be good right?

so i know yoga is good for that, and of course just simple stretching (which, i still hate to admit, im really not including in my workouts - yes, when im doing a jillian workout or something like that, i follow the stretches she tells you to do at the end, but i dont ever seem to do them when im just working out on my own).

i have to get a grip and REALLY focus my mind on the whole nine yards of kicking myself PROPERLY into touch. ive got like 50% of it pretty much down, and will keep it down for life, but yeah, i am still really lacking in other areas.

i could out-cycle people half my age, i could arm wrestle quite a few guys out there and put up a decent fight, i could do 100 squats before i really…..could…not….do…..one……..more (it would half kill me though haha), but could i sit cross legged for ten minutes without it hurting, or lift my dumbbells straight up over my head? no i couldnt. ok, the dumbbell thing really is greatly effected by my arm injury, but still, no i couldnt do it.

whats pilates all about? is that to do with flexibility? i could maybe try and incorporate some of that. i really need to find a yoga or pilates class that i can go to every week. my stupid stupid job gets in the way, but even if i could only go every other week, thats better than never going at all right?

ok, im going to find a local yoga class and sign up for it. ive made my decision, and thats it………its already ticked in my head now, i just have to tick it with my body.

..sue xx

A big part of beginning a physical activity program is getting used to the feel of using your muscles, and flexibility can be a great place to start. Just as with other kinds of physical activity, it’s best to start slowly and increase your efforts gradually.

Stretching exercises will help you as you become more active. Stretching before and after aerobic exercise (even walking) and muscle strengthening may help you feel better. One approach is to take 5 to 10 minutes before and after each program to stretch your muscles. Be sure to stretch the muscles you will be using when you exercise.

Tips for stretching

• Warm your muscles slightly before stretching them. Walk or do some other light aerobic exercise for a few minutes, then start stretching.
• Ease yourself into the stretch, relax, and don’t push or bounce. You should feel a stretch in the muscle but not pain.
• Exhale as you do the stretch. While you are holding the stretch, inhale deeply.
• Try closing your eyes while stretching. It helps you relax and reduces self-consciousness and the urge to compete.
• Take a moment to enjoy the good, warm feeling that comes after a good stretch.

Try some of these stretches:

Latissimus stretch

CARDIO Why it matters: Getting your heart pumping strengthens your ticker, decreases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, releases endorphins and reduces stress. Exercise: Jumping rope Choose a soft or flexible surface to jump on, such as carpeting or a wood floor. To find the right rope length, step on the center of the rope and pull the ends up—the handles should come up to your armpits. Keep your knees soft, spine tall, abs pulled in and elbows by your waist. Gaze forward and begin bouncing with both feet—you only need to come up a couple of inches off the floor for the rope to pass under your toes. Jump as long as you can, then jog in place to recover before jumping again. How to tell you’re improving: You’ll be able to jump for longer periods and will need less time to recover. Aim for three minutes of jumping and one minute of jogging in place

BALANCE Why it matters: Being steady on your feet reduces your risk of falling, improves posture, boosts fluidity and teaches you to connect your mind and body in the present moment. Exercise: Balance squat Stand on your right leg with your left foot lifted just off the floor. Bend your right knee and touch your left leg with the fingertips of both hands as low as you can—the knee, shin or shoelaces. As you straighten your right leg, reach both arms overhead. Repeat 10 times on the right side, then do 10 on the left. How to tell you’re improving: You reach farther down with each squat and do more reps without losing your balance.

FLEXIBILITY Why it matters: Being flexible reduces your risk of injuries and relieves muscle tension that contributes to chronic pain. What’s more, research indicates that flexible muscles are related to pliable (healthy) arteries. Exercise: Hamstring stretch Lying on your back, extend your left leg along the floor and lift your right leg in to your chest. Place a resistance band or yoga strap around the arch of your right foot, hold on to the band with both hands, and extend your leg up, straightening it as much as possible. Lower your right leg down to just above the floor, then pull it up toward your face. Hold for 30 seconds, then go back down. Do 10 reps. How to tell you’re improving: Your lifted leg will come closer to your face and the lifted knee will stay straighter. Even when not doing the exercise, you’ll notice less lower back pain.

STRENGTH Why it matters: Pumping iron (or just using your own body weight for resistance) increases bone density, boosts metabolism and makes you more self-sufficient for daily tasks. Exercise: Push-up From a plank position with hands slightly wider than your shoulders, lower your knees to the floor. Lift your bellybutton toward your spine and draw your lower ribs together. Keeping your knees, hips, shoulders and head in one plane, bend your elbows out to the side and reach your chest (not your chin) toward the floor. Aim to bend your elbows 90 degrees before pressing back up to the starting position. Do as many as you can while maintaining proper alignment and lowering with control. How to tell you’re improving: The number you can do increases. After you can do 20 on your knees with proper form, straighten your legs and do them off your toes.

STRENGTH Why it matters: Pumping iron (or just using your own body weight for resistance) increases bone density, boosts metabolism and makes you more self-sufficient for daily tasks. Exercise: Push-up From a plank position with hands slightly wider than your shoulders, lower your knees to the floor. Lift your bellybutton toward your spine and draw your lower ribs together. Keeping your knees, hips, shoulders and head in one plane, bend your elbows out to the side and reach your chest (not your chin) toward the floor. Aim to bend your elbows 90 degrees before pressing back up to the starting position. Do as many as you can while maintaining proper alignment and lowering with control. How to tell you’re improving: The number you can do increases. After you can do 20 on your knees with proper form, straighten your legs and do them off your toes.