Do your muscles feel tight or stiff? Whether you sit all day or stand for long periods of time, your body might feel sore and achy by the end of the day. A significant number of people must sit for hours at a time at a desk in order to perform the tasks that their job requires. You may want to feel more flexible but think that it’s simply not possible. Not only will you feel better when you have a greater range of motion, but you can also prevent injuries as well. You don’t have to spend an hour each day in a hot yoga class to increase your flexibility. Today, we would like to discuss some ways to improve your flexibility.
Warm Up Prior To Workouts
Before you begin working out full speed ahead, warm your muscles up to prevent injury. Try performing some squats, jumping jacks, and side lunges until you break a light sweat. Then, you are ready for a proper workout. It’s not just stretching your muscles that increases flexibility but also moving them.
Perform Light Stretches After a Workout
For about five to ten minutes after working out, lightly stretch your muscles. Make sure that you are targeting the muscles you used during your workout. When you stretch following a workout, you are also less likely to feel as sore.
Proper Hydration
When you consume plenty of water before, during, and after a workout, your muscles will be working at optimal levels. This means that they are more responsive to the movements and stretches that you perform. It’s all too common for people to work out in a dehydrated state, and they won’t experience all the maximum benefits from the workout.
Massage Therapy
Need an excuse for a massage? Therapeutic massage helps break up knots in muscles and tissues, which can prevent them from performing their full range of motion. Not only will a message help break up knots and release muscle tightness, they just feel so darn good. Optimize your flexibility while relieving stress by treating yourself to a massage.
Stretch
Incorporating a few different types of stretches into your daily routine could make a great difference in your flexibility. Static stretching refers to a passive form of stretching that is held for about 20 to 30 seconds. Dynamic stretching refers to moving the body through bodyweight movements such as lunges to prepare your body for further movement. Both types of stretches will help with your flexibility.
Ballroom Dancing
Not only is ballroom dancing a great cardiovascular workout but it increases your flexibility as well. Ballroom dance classes start off with warm ups and stretching to increase your flexibility and prevent injury. Ballroom dance choreography often includes many movements with bending and stretching, which will increase your flexibility. The best part about this kind of workout is that it’s so much fun and you’ll be expressing yourself creatively. Even if you’ve never taken a dance class before, you’ll enjoy yourself and let loose in our upbeat, encouraging atmosphere. Take an adult dance class at our ballroom dance studio in Woodbridge for a truly enjoyable experience.