5 Tips for Getting Flexy in 2016
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Flexibility is an important aspect of getting fit and healthy for everybody! Flexibility isn’t just for dancers or gymnasts, it’s important for all forms of physical activity from martial arts to football. Stretching has a number of benefits from increasing your range of movement, to reducing the risk of injury, to just impressing your friends. So if getting flexy in 2016 wasn’t one of your resolutions, add it to your list and read these tips below on how to get super bendy.
- Do it every day!
It’s important to keep stretching muscles every day if you want to reap the rewards. Inconsistent stretching means inconsistent progress, so try to do it every day even if it is just for ten minutes. It’s better than nothing, because not stretching doesn’t just mean a lack of progress; it can also lead to regression! So if you decide to take a week off, you might just find yourself right back where you started.
- Stretch after showers
Warming up the muscles before you start is crucial to a successful stretching session. Not only does it reduce your chances of injuring yourself or pulling a muscle, but by warming the muscles it prepares them for exercise and makes them suppler, meaning you can stretch a lot further! For best results, stretch after some light exercise such as jogging, or even after you’ve jumped out of the shower when your muscles are still warm from the hot water.
- Find a stretching partner
Finding a partner to help you stretch will boost your progress by huge amounts! Not only will a partner help to keep you motivated and keep you going, but there are a number of partner stretches which are super effective for increasing flexibility, more so than doing them on your own. Your partner can push down on your legs, for example, to provide an even deeper stretch than doing it yourself. Just be careful not to push your partner too hard: know their limits!
- Use walls, gravity and stretch bands
There are times when finding a partner to help you stretch is just not possible and this is where there are a number of other (often free) options that help you deepen your stretches.
Gravity: If you’re working on getting your box splits, lie down with your legs against a wall in straddle position. Gravity will help to push down on your legs and deepen the stretch.
The wall: walls are incredibly useful for stretching and a quick google search will show you a number of different stretches to try where the wall provides a resisting force to help you straighten out those legs and stretch those stubborn hamstrings and hip abductors.
Stretch bands: stretch bands are another effective way to deepen your stretches by providing an active resistant force against your muscles. You can find cheap exercise bands in many sports shops, or failing that, you can always use a scarf to help pull your muscles closer into the stretch.
- Don’t give up!
Finally and most importantly, do not give up! Even if you still think you’re miles away from getting into your splits, you will get there! To speed up progress, try holding your stretches for longer as they’re most effective when held for 30-60 seconds. Take progress pictures every week so that you can see how much more bendy you are in the pictures, even if you can’t see it yourself in person. Upload your pictures using #TransformationTuesday every week and make sure you tag us (@nebeep) in them so we can check out your amazing results!
