Learning About Stretching Flexibility Exercises
Stretching routines and stretching flexibility exercises are crucial, not only as a predecessor to sports and other activities, but just in general because they help keep your muscles long and lean, thereby lessening your chance of developing certain conditions such as osteoporosis.
As we age, our muscles shorten and contract, and this is why we often find it so hard to do the simple everyday things we once could. Standing and walking even get more difficult, and this is largely in part due to the fact that people do not perform stretching flexibility exercises enough and keep their muscles loose and limber.
The Basics
There are many different stretching flexibility exercises that you can include in your routine, but a few in particular which are the basics.
The chest stretch is one, and to perform this stretch you need to stand parallel to a wall, extend your arm back so that you have it with its full length against the wall, and then turn your body away from the wall as far as you can until you begin to feel your muscle stretching. Hold for a moment and then switch arms and repeat.
A great forearm and wrist stretch can be executed if you start on all fours, supporting yourself on your hands and knees. Have your thumbs pointed to the outside with your fingers pointed towards your knees and keep your palms flat as you then lean back to stretch the front part of your forearms.
The latissimus stretching flexibility exercises are also important, and to perform one you hold on to a bar or press onto a wall with your hands about shoulder width apart. Now you want to bend forward at the waist, making sure that you are far enough away from the bar that you can elongate your torso.
Stretching flexibility exercises are incredibly important, and you should perform them not only before your activity but after as well, in order to ensure proper cool down. Cool down is vital because it gives your heart a chance to slow down but in a controlled manner rather than abruptly, as this can be seriously dangerous, especially if you are older or if you have suffered from heart problems in the past.
You can perform most of these exercises on your own but it is often good to have a partner there who can help you get into position if necessary. There are also certain stretching exercises which actually cannot be performed without the help of someone else.
