Flexibility is easily overlooked in a training environment, yet it has numerous benefits. Good flexibility can literally be the difference between achieving your goals or falling short due to injury or pain. Each of the following areas explains how flexibility, when used regularly, will improve your training and quality of life.

1) Improve posture

Stretching improves posture by bringing the body back into balance with muscles that are tight. The soft tissue structures of most people’s bodies are damaged due to poor habitual patterns and a sedentary lifestyle. Stretching can help realign soft tissue structures, helping you maintain good posture and protecting you from injury. When the body is stretched properly, not only is posture improved, but many people notice dramatic reductions in chronic pain, for example lower back pain. Low back pain can be caused by tight muscles that help support and protect the back. So when the hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, gluteus medius, etc. Properly stretched, stress on the lower back is reduced and this can alleviate or even eliminate pain.

2) Improved performance and decreased risk of injury

Proper stretching techniques also increase physical performance. When muscles and joints become more flexible, they have the ability to move through a greater range of motion and with more power. Plus, with increased flexibility, less energy is needed to achieve full range of motion, so your movement becomes more efficient and effective. Stretching decreases the resistance on tissue structures, making them more flexible and therefore less susceptible to injury from overextension or improper movement.

3) Eliminates shortening of the muscles

Chronic shortening of the muscles leads to many problems. When an individual performs resistance training, the muscles contract over and over again. Over time, this will lead to loss of full range of motion, improper movement patterns, joint pain, and loss of mobility. However, these problems can be alleviated simply by performing warm-up and cool-down stretches. In addition, on rest days, training stretches can be performed. It can even be done when you have a few spare minutes or while watching TV. Think of it this way: as you contract your muscles, they shorten. As you stretch them, they get longer. Therefore, it is very important to balance your workouts with stretching to prevent shortening of the muscles.

4) Helps reduce muscle stiffness and soreness and improves blood flow

Stretching helps dissipate lactic acid buildup in the muscle being worked, helping to eliminate stiff, sore muscles the next day. It also helps aid in blood flow to the tissue. Blood carries the nutrients needed to repair tissue after a workout. Stretching increases the temperature of the tissue, which in turn increases circulation.

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