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Benefits of Flexibility and Stretching
Fitness | July 10, 2013
There are many benefits of flexibility and stretching! Flexibility is a very important component of fitness, and stretching is an important activity that offers significant benefits to our health and exercise. There is no doubt that flexibility plays a huge role in any kind of sport performance. For example, the big bulky guys that play American football. I know it’s hard to imagine them in Lululemon outfits doing a downward dog in a yoga class, but believe me, even they know the benefits that come with regular stretching.
For these guys, strength and power is the most important thing that they focus on, however excluding flexibility training from their regimen would lead to poor performance and possibly serious injury.
For us girls, us WarriorZ, that are engaging in high intensity workouts such as Body Crush™, CardioShred™, and weekly Power Yoga, stretching and flexibility are some of our main priorities!
Flexibility Means Better Progress
Do you remember my post about the importance of recovery? One of the most important physical activities for recovery is plenty of stretching. If your body doesn’t recover properly, than you won’t see any further progress and it might be very harmful for your overall wellbeing. What happens to our muscles after very high intensity workout is that they become stiff and sore as a result of micro tears. If you slack on your cool down and stretching, your muscles will experience blood pooling which means that the blood that carried oxygen and nutrients to the muscles won’t return back to the heart and the waste product called lactic acid stays in the muscles. This is why we experience swelling and pain sometimes even for a few days after an intense workout. Proper stretching helps with muscle recovery, blood circulation, and removing waste product. Muscles that are stretched on a daily basis can contract and relax efficiently which means that you will be jamming through the routines, beating your own records and looking better each day.
As we get older, each year our muscles and joints become stiffer, and our bodies less flexible. Obviously we can’t stop getting older, however the only reason why you see so many old people with limited range of motion to the point that even looking over their shoulder is painful, is the lack of flexibility training and poor lifestyle choices. I am not trying to be disrespectful to elderly people. Not at all. I am just saying that your body can age with grace, strength, and flexibility if that’s what you want. There are many amazing people out there that can prove it to you like this lady:
I used old people as an example on purpose. It’s the extreme when it comes to lack of flexibility, but unfortunately there are many young people with the same issues. This video of Ms. Tao was a huge wake up call for me. She is way more flexible than I am and she is 62 years older than me. I am 62 years younger than her and I can’t do what she does?! She is an incredibly inspiring woman and has definitely raised the bar for me.
No more excuses! Let’s dedicate 15 extra minutes a day on top of our workouts to stretching and flexibility work. It’s worth the time, given that you will speed up your progress by a lot.
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Private Member |
I’ve recently, also, started to understand the importance of stretching for flexibility, so I try to find 15-30 minutes a day, after my Zworkout, to really get a good yoga flow done. I’m finding that this is really helping with the back pain I get, from working in front of a computer 10hrs a day, and the tight achilies tendons I have, genetically.
Private Member |
It would be really helpful if you incorporated your cool down and stretching in each video. I am guilty of not cooling down properly and stretching. We all have a tendency of skipping the stretching because of time constraints.
Private Member |
Ah…Now there you go again Zuzka, always ‘raising the bar’ by reintroducing to us to the basics (like stretching..)and what they can STILL do for us. You got it, I’m going to commit to stretching for those 15 minutes as recommended. Excellent post! With Ivory Soul, May Palmer, The Queen of Ivory Soul http://www.maypalmer.com
Private Member |
the flexibility in our body ought to help us see how important it is in our entire self. being judgmental not only freezes our mind, it expresses itself in our flesh and bones. I don’t practice yoga, but the act of stretching is extremely important to me and I really respect our Creator for helping us to be aware of and paying heed to this need of our bodies.
Private Member |
It’s true, I’ve realized that I recover faster and am less sore when I do the cool-down-routine after each workout. I used to neglect cool-down and streching, always thought it wouldn’t be that important. Now on the ZGym, with the cool-down right in front of my nose, I made it part of the routine. Looking forward to more videos like that, some variety would be nice.
Private Member |
I was only able to do 2 rounds in about a half hour. I work out on my lunch hour but next month I will do it on a weekend day and after a rest day. I am terribly soar today in my glutes and hammies. I have to finish 2 more days of this weeks Shred and ZWow. Nothing good comes easy and I want this. My 15 minutes of stretching I will have to do before I go to bed. I AM committed…and a Warrior 😉
Private Member |
I coud sign this. and feel very sorry for my partner who doesnt take care of himsef. He is quite young and has a lot of problems already is unable to do some simple movements (even childs pose or downward facing dog or jest fold forward) because of his poor choices and sedentary lifestyle. we are a bit opposites. I love sports, exercise, meditation, ride a bike everywhere, eating healthy etc. he prefers sitting with his computer, driving a car everywhere and drinking a beer and smoking cigarretes with his mates and eating salami and bread. so hard to watch your loved person is doing so much damage on himself. I cant do much about it. I cant persuade him it is his choice. does anyone here similar problem with inactive and unheathy partner?
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
You’re right, you can’t control his choices but there might be a way to influence him. I would say you’d have to find out what could make him feel more interested in healthy lifestyle. I’d love to hear others opinions.
Private Member |
Thank you for answer, Z.
There are some impovements. We have been tohether for more than 3 years and his lifestyle has impoved little bit since then. He smokes only when going out (he used to smoke every day but I wouldnt start a relationship with smoker so he stopped), we do trekking or swimming together sometimes on our days off. And because I eat lot of vegetables and fruits he has SOMETIMES a LITTLE bit too 😀 but we eat quite differently and usually completely different meals as I am vegetarian and he is not and we have very different preferences. Although it is better, he is still very far from a healthy lifestyle.
The hardest thing is to see his poor mobility and the poblems he is developing (lower back issues, knee pain etc. and often injured when doing something). I cant push him as it would cause completly opposite effect. He does not listen to me, so I better tell him to go to physio therapist although I know many good execises that would help him as I am certified yoga teacher. His dad has very poor mobility and is unable to rotate his neck and has lot of issues and aches with his back. So I try to gently remind him that it is important to keep moving to keep a good quality of life when we become old. I imagine myself climbing the mountains and travelling when retired and not visiting the doctors and eating painkillers 🙂
Private Member |
Please, could anyone rephrase “jamming through”?
(“Muscles that are stretched on a daily basis can contract and relax efficiently which means that you will be jamming through the routines, beating your own records and looking better each day.”)
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
This means that you’ll feel like you’re “in the zone” and moving smoothly when doing your workouts.