Incorporating Flexibility Training Into Your Workouts

When scheduling weekly workouts most people plan aerobic activities to burn calories and work on cardiovascular endurance, which is awesome! People also incorporate weight training to gain or maintain lean muscle mass and build strength, this is fantastic and so important too. However, flexibility training like stretching and yoga are often over-looked, which is unfortunate, because they should be an integral part of every workout program.

In fact, it would be ideal to set aside 10-20 minutes daily to focus on flexibility and stretching. Although if that seems like too much, do what you can to incorporate a few minutes into your morning routine, afternoon break or evening relaxation. You will immediately feel good and begin to notice the benefits in many aspects of your life!

In general, as we age we tend to lose flexibility, often due to decreased activity. However, the good news is that with regular exercise including stretching and/or yoga, we can maintain flexibility and keep doing activities we enjoy.

Benefits of stretching and flexibility training:

• Greater range of motion and improved posture

• Releases muscle tension and helps relieve stiff, sore muscles

• Increases physical and mental relaxation

Tips on stretching:

• Take a deep breath and slowly exhale as you gently stretch the muscle to a point of tension. Continue to breathe normally during stretching - don’t hold your breath.

• Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, break, then repeat the stretch 2-3 more times.

• Holding the stretch is more effective than bouncing.

• Don’t strain or push too far. If something starts to hurt, ease-up or stop.

• Before exercising, a few minutes of active movement is ideal. The goal is to warm-up, doing a couple of movements at a slower and lower intensity of what your workout will entail. Save static stretching for after your workout.

• After exercising, take time to cool down with slower active stretching followed by static stretching. This is when you can slow down and hold stretches; 2-3 sets for 20-30 seconds. This will help with recovery from workouts and soothe any muscle tension. After workouts, muscles are warm and can be gently pushed to encourage greater range of motion and increase flexibility.

Yoga offers additional health and wellness benefits. Whether you take a class or incorporate a few minutes of yoga into your daily routine, yoga provides:

• A break from our busy lives

• Builds body awareness, we become more in-tune with our body and we become more satisfied with our body

• Brings attention to the present moment

• Develops deep breathing and mind-body strength

• Soothes tension and anxiety

For more benefits on yoga, check-out this article from Harvard Health Publishing:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat

Click below for 10 basic yoga poses that are a great foundation for increasing flexibility! I begin most mornings with 20 minutes of gentle stretching and incorporate a yoga flow based on these movements.

10 Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Day.pd

Download PD • 399KB

For more help with flexibility training and incorporating some basic yoga into your workouts, contact: Wendy@FusionFitnessandNutrition.com