Top 10 Performance Benefits of Flexibility Fitness
Fitness Woman Stretching
There are some amazing performance benefits that can be gained from practicing a flexibility program. A good portion of the benefits come just from stretching regularly; however, these benefits can be greatly enhanced by adding, self-myofascial release (SMR), strength, and stability exercises.
Let’s look at some of the performance benefits coming from a good flexibility routine.
1. Increases range of motion (ROM) (1-5)
Both static and neuromuscular (nerves and muscles) stretching have an impact on increasing the ROM of a targeted joint.
The technique of holding a stretch statically and consistently over time (static stretching) properly elongates muscles and helps to create space in the body that allows joints to move freely through a wider ROM. Previously shortened and bulky muscles that may have been inhibiting movement are now lengthened and no longer restrict joints.
Furthermore, static stretching has the effect of decreasing the responsiveness of the motor neurons (Golgi tendon organs) that can inhibit ROM. The resistance to stretching further (stretch reflex) lessens, and tolerance improves, allowing the individual to stretch further and to increase ROM.
One of the most effective flexibility techniques for increasing ROM is neuromuscular stretching. This type of stretching takes the muscle to its full ROM. Isometric contraction of the muscle is performed followed by a static stretching. Neuromuscular stretching is presently the quickest method for improving ROM and is often used successfully in flexibility training.
2. Improves muscle pliability (6-11)
Static stretching has an impact on the pliability and elasticity of the muscle. By consistently stretching a muscle for a certain time (~30 secs) over a period time (weeks), the composition and structure of the muscle changes and elongates. Once weakened and tight, muscles find their resiliency through this process of elongation.
Self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques applied in flexibility training can also be very effective in improving muscle pliability and extensibility. SMR not only targets muscle but also releases the fascia that encases the muscle and can constrict greatly muscle movement.
3. Improves muscular strength (6,7)
Tight muscles that are not stretched over time become short, weak, rigid, and fragile. They are also usually unable to operate properly at normal force, let alone full force. In short, you lose strength in muscles that are continually contracted.
The entire length of a relaxed muscle is necessary to enable its full strength and power in any activity. Properly stretching tight muscles can reset them to their normal state, thereby restoring muscle length and strength. When the muscle is in this healthy state, then it has a greater ability to exert maximum force through a wider ROM.
Stretching also seems to have the ability to impact the muscles the same way as regular weight training just on a milder level. Flexibility training through stretching presents an excellent way to introduce low-impact exercising for strengthening. It can be great for those just starting out on their wellness journey as well as for those looking to supplement their present intense training plan with a low-impact option.
Scrabble: Flexibility Fitness, Endurance & Strength
4. Improves muscle endurance (6,7)
Research has shown that static stretching on a regular basis (eg, 3X a week 40-minutes) can improve muscular endurance noticeably. This gain in endurance most likely occurs from rebalancing of muscles as well as better mechanical efficiency and coordination achieved in the body.
This finding in flexibility training is promising because it opens new opportunities to introduce, a low-impact alternative approach to improving muscular endurance, especially for the more restricted, less mobile segment of the population.
5. Prevents Injuries (1-3)
Stretching before starting a workout or any daily activity may help in preventing injury. Stretching for injury prevention prepares the body for the stress of the activity and/or exercise.
Conventional wisdom indicates that short connective tissues and muscles limit joint mobility, which can lead to injury. Stretching allows the muscles to loosen up so that they can become more pliable and resistant to the impact that they may undergo.
Injury prevention from stretching beforehand really depends on the flexibility technique that is done before a workout/activity. The key is that the stretching needs to be relevant and appropriate to the activity at hand.
A few static split stretches may be more appropriate for the dancer or gymnast. However, not all individuals need that extreme ROM and flexibility stretching that such an artist or athlete may need before they engage in dancing or competition.
In the case of golf or tennis player, dynamic arm swing stretches may be a more appropriate flexibility exercises to do beforehand. Relevancy and appropriateness of flexibility exercise are key. If we stick to that rule of thumb, the likelihood of preventing injuries by including stretching in the pre-workout phase should increase.
6. Improves postural stability and balance (12-14)
Some studies have shown that improved postural stability from stretching has a significant impact on balance. Stretching exercises included in a flexibility fitness program can greatly improve imbalances in muscles. The more that we work on correcting these imbalances, the more our body falls into alignment, and our postural stability improves.
7. Tones your nervous system (3,15)
It is important to maintain a symbiotic relationship between healthy nerves and flexibility. When muscles are chronically contracted, nerves and blood vessels that pass through the soft tissue are compressed.
These contracted muscles typically become functionally impaired over time. When the free flow of nerve signaling is impeded, the electrical energy in your body begins to wane, making you less efficient in performing tasks; you begin to tire quickly.
However, by stretching and lengthening shortened, stiff muscles you can greatly improve your proprioceptive skills (sense of space) and overall movement. Furthermore, improvement can be achieved by integrating into your flexibility routine strength and stabilizing exercises to retrain your nerves.
These benefits will be most noticeable in areas of your body such as shoulders, feet/ankles, and wrists/hands, but will also take effect in your larger muscles over time.
Fitness Woman Stretching in a Dance Pose; Photo by Alex Shaw on Unsplash.
8. Improves coordination and optimizes functional performance (1-3, 16)
Consistent participation in a good flexibility routine will improve your coordination. You will begin to experience increased efficiency in your neuromuscular system. As the correct length-tension of the muscles is resumed and muscle imbalances are fixed, the structural integrity of the body and your posture will be recovered.
Structural alignment will enable your bones to move through their respective joints effortlessly. Your motor skills will begin to improve. Your joints will begin to move smoothly through a greater ROM. Not only will your bones move better but so will your muscles. You will find that muscles will be healthier, maintaining the correct resting length and recruiting synergistically around joints.
Flexibility fitness can help prepare you for optimal functional performance. Not only will your coordination improve, but you will find that your efficiency in movement (mechanical efficiency) will also increase. It will take less energy to do the same movement.
“Flexibility also helps the individual to perform more skillfully and with greater self-assurance, elegance, and amplitude”
If you are an athlete, you can experience significantly improved performance. There will be more fluidity and freedom of motion with the increase efficiency in muscular movements. The more practice, muscle memory, and flexibility that is built into the movement, the more the skill level can improve and the more capable you, the athlete, become at executing intended movements through a full ROM.
In your everyday life, you will begin to experience improvement and greater ease in doing your daily activities. As your nerves and muscles are retrained in flexibility training to move through new and greater ROM, you will be better equipped to do things that may have been previously awkward
Reach overhead to the top shelf
Pick up groceries
Turn head quickly while driving
Stoop down and get back up quickly
9. Reduces and alleviates muscle spasms (17)
Muscle cramps, oh they can be so painful, and to top it off they can be so unpredictable! During a muscle cramp, the muscle fibers remain shortened and are unable to lengthen until the contraction is completed. Forcibly stretching the muscle at the time when it is at its tightest, is not advised as the best immediate move.
The recommended approach to alleviate cramps is to let the muscle recover and relax a bit. Let some of the pain subside, then attempt to gently static stretch the muscle in accordance with your tolerance level.
An even better approach to reducing muscle spasms is to take preventive measures. Regular stretching may help to reduce the incidences of these painful occurrences. By consistently practicing a flexibility routine that has you stretching regularly will not only help you to maintain pliable, flexible muscles and but also help you to avoid those dreadful, out-of-the blue muscle spasm attacks.
10. Increases recovery rate (1-3)
The last thing you want to do after an exhausting and intense workout is to stop to stretch your muscles. Instead, what’s typically on the agenda is taking a refreshing shower and getting on with the rest of the day.
AAAHHH... but not so fast! Usually, intense workouts or similar activities can result in the accumulation of lactic acid and toxins in the muscles. Within 24 to 48 hours, we can experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which can last for a couple of days before subsiding. Stretching, especially static stretching, after an intense workout has been shown to reduce muscle aches, pains, and soreness. (3) Stretching helps by removing excess lactic acid and toxins found in muscles , especially after strenuous workouts.
So next time, before hitting the showers, how about taking 10 to 15 minutes to stretch out the kinks and cool down? The next day your body just might thank you for it.
OK so we have gotten through the first top 10 benefits of flexibility fitness. Stay tuned for tomorrow where we will explore health and beauty benefits/advantages of a regular flexibility routine.
References
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