Maybe you want to impress your friends by becoming a better gymnast or dancer, or maybe you just want to enjoy a better physical condition. Elasticity is important, both mentally and physically. Increasing your elasticity, however, takes a lot of time and the practice of daily exercises. While this program can be tiring, it is also true that the results will be amazing, for you and the people around you. So, do you really want to increase your elasticity?
Steps
Step 1. Keep your ligaments and muscles warm
Never start without warming up. Stretching is not aerobic or demanding exercise, so you don't need to rest between exercises.
Step 2. Stretch every day
Doing sit-ups, crunches, and push-ups won't help you get more elastic, but a good training program needs to be balanced, and it has to work the opposite muscles than workouts. Do each exercise for at least 20 seconds, as many times as you like throughout the day of the week.
Step 3. Follow a proper diet if you want to become more supple and more confident
The diet itself will not make you more elastic, but it will allow you to go through some stretching exercises without being hampered by your body mass. Don't abuse junk food, and make sure you get your daily dose of protein, calcium, fruits, vegetables, grains. Remember to drink plenty of water and eat healthy food.
Step 4. Do these shoulder exercises:
- Stretch your chest muscles and focus on these exercises. Due to the position of the eyes in front of the head, and the fact that we do many things using our hands in front of our body, the chest muscles contract. It is important to stretch the chest muscles for many reasons.
- Stretch your arm muscles by bringing it in front of your chest as you push it with your other arm (but don't feel pain) for at least 20 seconds a day.
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Exercise with weights.
- Use light weights, but do it often, and every day.
- With medium weights, lift for fewer reps, twice a week. Keep in mind that using medium weights will take less time.
- Let your muscles gradually adapt to individual joint movements.
- As you progress, introduce more complex lifts that involve different joints.
Step 5. Do hamstring stretches, but work on this vulnerable muscle only after a proper warm-up
You can do stretching exercises as many times as you want, without any dangers whatsoever. As for the back and the vertebral column, in which there is nerve tissue, it is advisable not to overdo it.
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Do back exercises. Distinguish the exercises for the lower back and abdominal area, and limit yourself to the muscles of the hips and the spine. The lats are behind the back; the ventral ones in front.
Gain Flexibility Step 6 - As for the back muscles, spinal flexion is not to be extreme, instead focus on stretching the hips and rear thigh muscles. The "rabbit" pose in yoga is a great exercise. When it comes to forward bends, your choice will depend on the tension you feel in your lower back. If you want to safeguard your back for chores, do some stretching exercises that don't put stress on your back.
- Ventral zone: The back bend is a basic exercise for many gymnasts and you should practice it to benefit from it in sports or other physical activities. Among others, the "cobra" stretch from the ground for the abdominal muscles and the hip flexor exercise are the safest to perform.
Step 6. For the legs do the following exercises:
- Sit on the ground as you did for the back exercises, only in this case keep your legs perfectly flat on the ground, side by side.
- Bend down at the knees. Do not bend your head towards the knees, look forward.
- This exercise will serve to stretch the neck muscles; if you feel pain in your neck doing this exercise, bend your head towards your knees and do the stretch.
- Alternatively, you can sit with your legs extended forward and take your right leg to pass it to the left a few times. Do the same with the other leg.
Advice
- Try not to put too much stress on your muscles. When you feel pain, release the position and try again gently.
- Stretching helps reduce the chances of injury in all sports, and increases strength significantly.
- By training with weights, you tend to contract your muscles, so those who train should stretch.
- Mentally, willpower is enough to change. To become more physically elastic, however, you need time and different daily exercises. If you are really determined to get more elastic, as always, eat healthily and get enough sleep.
- Join the gym and ask them to teach you exercises.
