Do you Have stiff hips? How about tight hamstrings? It is time to do some stretching to loosen up. It may not be exciting to do some stretching but doing flexibility exercises not only helps you loosen up but is likewise important for a well-rounded exercise routine.

Doing stretching exercises helps improve your flexibility. These exercises also reduce tightness that will make your workouts safer and more efficient.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility refers to your range of motion in your joints as influenced by your ligaments, muscles, tendons, and the anatomy of your joint. Many people do not realize that a flexible body allows you to perform a full range of exercises to get the best results out of your workouts.

Flexibility can be achieved by regularly performing stretching exercises. You also need to be active and make some changes in your lifestyle.

Benefits of Stretching Exercises

When you reach adulthood, more often, you stop playing as kids do. As such, you tend to lose the flexibility required for child play, including lifting a box, squatting, doing the monkey bars, crossing legs while seated on the floor, and moving freely while doing your favorite sports.

You can regain whatever flexibility you lost by doing flexibility exercises. Here are some reasons why flexibility matters a lot. Improving your body’s flexibility has a positive impact on your overall well-being.

Here are some reasons flexibility can help your overall well-being:

Less pain

Lower back pain is often due to tight hip flexors. You experience neck pain because of locked-up shoulders. Your hamstrings can likewise cause many aches in your body.

When you lengthen the opening of your muscles, they become looser and less tense. This makes you experience fewer pains and aches in your neck, back, as well as joint and body pains, muscle soreness, and cramps.

Prevent Athletic Injuries

Poor patterns of movement and not tight muscles cause injuries.  When you are tight, chances are you move differently to work-around the imbalance. These imbalances can lead to neck, knee, and lower back injuries.

When you develop body flexibility, your body gets rid of muscle imbalances, reducing your risk of injury while doing physical activities.

More Strength

As your body becomes more flexible, it increases its strength because your muscles will develop the right amount of tension to support your movements. You will then be more physically fit.

Enhanced Balance and Posture

Your posture will improve as you increase your muscular flexibility. When you work out your body, it will straighten up any imbalances and allow proper alignment of your body.

Better Physical Performance

An increase in flexibility allows for more significant movement and allows your body to move better. This is so because flexibility allows your body to work effectively.

Better State of Mind

Regular stretching opens up your body, allowing you to have a relaxed state of mind. You will be able to unwind easily, and your body will feel better.

Stretching allows you to Lose Weight.

Doing stretching exercises allows you to burn calories and therefore helps in your weight loss goals. Doing stretching exercises for about 10 to 15 minutes per day can make you lose a substantial number of calories.

Improved Blood Circulation

You have a substantial vascular system with very tiny capillaries that are affected by your every movement or lack of movement. More flexibility will allow more movement and better blood circulation.

Improved Sleep

Poor posture, abnormal breathing patterns, muscle cramps can affect your sleep. Doing stretching exercises before hitting the sack can reduce your chances of experiencing these sleeping discomforts.

If you feel some tightness or stiffness in any part of your body and need some serious effort in doing simple things, you may need to do some flexibility or stretching exercises.

Best Stretching Exercises for Better Flexibility

Many people stay away from going to the gym, stop running, or engage in many physical activities they love because they lose momentum due to joint and body pains.

Doing stretching exercises for 10-15 minutes a day for at least three times a week can help you get flexible fast.

Quad Stretching

• Stand in an upright position.
• Bend one leg.
• Grab the top of the foot of that bent leg.
• Bring that foot close to your butt.
• Push your hips forward
• Repeat on the other leg.

Note: You can hold onto a wall for support while doing this exercise.

Hamstring Stretching

• Stand in an upright position.
• Bend your left knee (bend on your hips while keeping your back straight)
• Extend your right knee in front for about 5 inches.
• Bring your chest to your extended right leg.
• Repeat, this time, by bending your right knee and extending your left knee.

Thigh Stretching

• Sit on the ground in an upright position.
• Bend your knees and soles of your feet touching each other.
• Make your hands hold your feet.
• Push your body down on your knees with your elbows.

Hip Stretching

• Lie flat on your back.
• Bend both knees with your feet flat on the floor.
• Bring your left knee to your chest.
• Bring your knee to a 90-degree bend allowing your calf to cross your body.
• Make your right knee towards your chest, touching the angle of your left leg.
• Embrace your right leg and bring it close to your body.

Chest and Shoulder Stretching

• Stand straight and bring your legs to a 90-degree angle.
• Clasp both your hands behind your back to extend your arms behind your back.

Upper Back Stretching

• Stand or sit up straight with your legs apart at a 90-degree angle.
• Place your right hand on top of your left arm in front of you.
• Bring your arms away from your body.

Tricep Stretching

• Raise your right arm above you.
• Bend your elbow and bring your forearm at the back of your head.
• Push your elbow back with your left hand.

Shoulder Stretching

• Make your left arm extend across your body.
• Press and pull your extended left arm.
• Repeat with your right arm.

Slide Stretching

• With your hands clasped, raise both your arms above your head.
• Push your hands upwards and bring them over each of your sides.

Butterfly Stretching

• Sit straight on the floor with knees bent out on the sides and soles of your feet together.
• Hold your ankles and lower your body to your feet while pressing your knees to the floor.
• Be in this position for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Seated Shoulder Squeezing

• Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. 
• Clasp your hands and position them to your lower back.
• Extend your arms and press your shoulder blades to bring them together.
• Hold the position for 3 seconds.
• Repeat five times.

Knee to Chest Stretching

• Lie flat on your back while extending both legs.
• Bring your right knee to your chest.
• Keep your left leg straight.
• Keep your lower back straight on the floor.
• Repeat with your right leg.

Final thoughts

Your overall well-being to have a flexible body. Inflexibility will cause your body to feel many aches and pains, leading to possible injuries during movements.

Doing flexible exercises will not bring overnight results. Some days, you may feel some improvements in your body. Some days, you will feel it working. That is okay and normal. The key is to keep going with your stretching exercises until you feel your body is flexible enough to perform movements without any aches and pains.