How to improve your flexibility -- and your health
http://ift.tt/2x3CVET How flexible you are and how flexible you can become are also influenced by factors that you can't control, such as genetics and gender. As anyone who has ever observed a co-ed yoga class can attest, women tend to be more flexible than men. Injuries and certain conditions like arthritis can also limit flexibility. Age plays a role, as well. Starting around age 30 or 40, flexibility continuously decreases, with men losing flexibility more quickly than women. But this decline doesn't occur uniformly throughout the body.
Research
shows that the shoulders and trunk tend to lose flexibility more quickly than the elbows and knees, for example. At any age, you may be relatively flexible in one part of your body and have limited range of motion in another. Flexibility can also vary from one side to another. As for how much flexibility is optimal, there's no definitive answer. We know that having poor range of motion can hamper athletic performance, increase the risk of injuries and make tasks of daily living more difficult. It's also true that a high level of flexibility can be beneficial if you do activities such as gymnastics, swimming or ballet. But this doesn't mean we should all strive to become human pretzels. Just as extreme inflexibility can lead to problems, so can extreme flexibility. People who are double-jointed -- or have "joint hypermobility," as the condition is technically known -- are more likely to experience pain and sports-related injuries. Interestingly, they're also at higher risk of anxiety disorders. (Why the two conditions are related is unknown.) Between the two extremes is a wide range of satisfactory flexibility levels. Being on the upper end of the range may impress your friends in yoga classes or games of Twister, but it won't necessarily confer any additional health benefits. Instead of worrying about how your flexibility stacks up against that of others, you should focus on what's right -- and realistic -- for yourself. Assess what your needs are and how stretching might address them. For example, maybe a certain part of your body is especially inflexible and holding you back in your workouts. Or perhaps you want to improve your flexibility to help your tennis or golf game, or to get on the floor and play with your kids or grandkids. Whatever the case, here are a few relatively simple tests you can use to assess your flexibility. Do them after a warmup or workout. Sit and reachDeveloped in the 1950s, this classic test of flexibility in the hamstrings and lower back has several variations. Here's a DIY version from the YMCA that requires only a yardstick and masking tape.
ZipperThis test of shoulder flexibility measures how closely you can bring your hands together behind your back. You need a tape measure or ruler and an assistant.
Sitting-risingThis test, developed by a Brazilian doctor, has received attention as a tool to predict mortality risk in middle-aged and older people. But research suggests that it can also be an indicator of flexibility (as well as strength and balance) in people of all ages. No equipment is required, but you need sufficient space and a surface that's not slippery.
There's no need to get perfect scores on these tests -- though if you do, that's great. Instead, use the results to track improvements in flexibility over time. That way, you can tell whether all those shoulder stretches or Cobra poses are paying off. Health via CNN.com - RSS Channel - Health http://ift.tt/1rsiniF August 30, 2017 at 06:11AM
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