Benefits Flexibility and Balance

Flexibility Balance Cardio and Strength Training This past week and got to see how you function well-rested. But it’s a brand new week! So here’s a brand new topic! We’ve already covered two types of exercises:✓ Cardio and strength training. Previous weeks have even given you some tips on food swaps, what a balanced meal is, why sometimes you just want to eat everything, and also why sleep is so important to your health.✓ Today, we cover our last topic.✓ To bring it full circle, what’s one of the first things you do in the morning after you wake up?  How about a big long stretch of your whole body? That’s right…today we’ll be focusing on stretching and, more specifically: flexibility and balance. So let’s get straight into the recommendations and benefits as well as what types of exercises count as flexibility and balance and how to do them.?? First, let’s talk about the recommendations on stretching.  Currently it’s recommended to do some stretching exercises about 3 times a week.   But how do you do that???  Well, there are a variety of ways.  You can just hold a position for about 30 seconds at a time, release, and repeat for a total of 60 seconds. This is called static stretching. Or you can do some dynamic stretching that involves movement while you also stretch your muscles. Now, what about types of exercises that count as flexibility and balance.  If YOGA came to mind, then you’re right!! YOGA does give you the best of both worlds.  Not only are you using your muscles and stretching through movements, BUT you are also holding certain positions (static) in both power poses and stretching poses.  Must love yoga! The good thing is that you don’t even need to enroll in a class. You can find excellent yoga classes on youtube and do them from the comfort of your home! How do I know? I’ve used them!!?? Another great exercise to balance is Tai Chi. The slow, guided flow from each movement makes use of each of the muscles that help you with stability.   More stable means fewer falls.  The older you get, the more critical these balance exercises become. Okay, so yoga and tai chi, but what are the benefits of doing these flexibility and balance exercises? Are you ready?? Stretching and flexibility improve your range of motion. This means that your joints can move the way they are supposed to.  Like a well-oiled car! You want proper motion so you can get the most use of your muscles.  For example: If you were to trip over something and you’re pretty flexible, then your hip muscles have room to move to its extreme position and prevent a fall.. hopefully.  Now, if you are less flexible, think about trying to break your fall while your shoes are tied together.  You won’t be able to the wide-open step to prevent your fall because your range of motion is restricted.  The same is true of your arms and other body parts. It also improves your athletic performance! Lets put it this way. Your muscles need to stretch a little, so it can use its full potential to move.  If you’re flexible, then you can use your entire range of motion, and your muscles can use their full potential too! This is great not only in sports but also in daily activities.  What exactly happens when you need to carry groceries to the car? Or move a few things around the house? Or bring your books from class to class. MUSCLE USE! Sports or not, it’s good for your strength and power. Decrease the risk of injury! This is both in sports injuries and injuries in daily activities.  For example: If you’re playing a sport and your fall on one of your joints in a weird way.. if your bones are okay with that kind of stretch… no injury. On the other hand, if you’re doing daily activities like going up and down stairs or moving boxes, or putting dishes away or making the bed.  Then being flexible is an excellent way to these activities without pain, without strain, and without injury. Why? Well, because you can bend that way! So its no biggie! But what if you’re trying to lift a heavy box? And your hips aren’t flexible enough to bend wide? Chances are you will raise the box with your back rather than your buttocks, and you guessed it… you “pulled your back.”  Now you’re laying there in pain, hoping someone will come and help.  How do I know this? Well… from experience, obviously!? Like Rome, flexibility doesn’t come in a day! So what do you do? Like all other exercises.. start somewhere… and little by little, push for more. Now there is no extra benefit from stretching to the point of pain, rather than to the end of discomfort.. so don’t aim for pain.. just feel uncomfortable, and you’ll benefit from the stretch.  I know.. Who wants to feel uncomfortable?  Oddly enough, it starts to feel good, and you find your body loves it! A lot of people say “stretch before a work out”.. BUT.. you should WARM UP your muscles 1st before you go a stretch them. A mild time before a workout is okay, but don’t try to do a full stretch before you’re warmed up. Think of your muscles as cheese.  I know, now I’m hungry too.  If I give you a piece of cheese straight from the fridge, you won’t be able to stretch it and pull it, right? Or maybe you will, but then you’ll just rip it apart and nom nom nom if you warm it up a bit. Like in a microwave.. you get all the stretch and melt you want without the rip! And then you can still nom nom nom!  Muscles are the same, okay. You don’t wish to cheesy muscles. BUT you do want muscles that are warm enough to stretch and not be harmed.  So do some light warm-up before you exercise like jumping jacks, knee-ups,