There are many variables that athletes must focus on to improve their sports fitness training. Whether it is nutrition, rest, speed training or strength training athletes do have quite a bit to think about. One are that is often overlooked in an athletes training program is flexibility. Flexibility is important because it allows a person to get into various positions when working out and in athletics and not become injured. It also allows for getting into positions during physical activity that can allow a person to jump higher or run faster or for longer periods without injuries. Developing flexibility will allow a person to keep training longer into their life and prevent overall injuries.

The most common patterns for inflexibility are most of the muscles connected to the hip area, the chest and shoulder rotator muscles. These areas of inflexibility are due to a combination of poor posture, improper workouts and some genetics. There are some great stretching exercises we will cover in this program to help loosen these areas up.

Stretching on a regular basis not only prevents injuries by improving posture but also releases stress from tight muscles. Any time you release stress from any area of the body it has an overall effect of calming the body down. This can help a person relax and sleep or just go through the day with a better frame of mind.

After stretching for a long period of time you will notice how your body will hold itself better and you will use less energy just to go through the day. This is because your body is not fighting itself to maintain posture due to the tight muscles wanting to pull the body in the wrong way.

There are many different ways to stretch. Some methods for stretching are dynamic stretching, static stretching and P.N.F. All three provide certain benefits that can help an athlete improve their sports fitness training.

Dynamic stretching is moving the body through various motions to stretch certain muscles of the body. This is a typical method for athletes warming up before competition.

Here is an example of dynamic stretching

Static flexibility is sitting still while stretching a certain muscle. This method is great for post workout or at night before bed. Static stretching can also be used before and during a dynamic stretch routine. I often stretch dynamically then find an area that is tight and focus on it with some static stretching and then go back to the dynamic stretch.

Static flexibility example

P.N.F. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is a method that combines static stretches with isometric muscle contractions. This basically means that an athlete stretches their muscle to a certain point and then contracts the muscle then relaxes again and works to stretch further. This alternation of stretch and contract tires out the muscle and allows for a greater range of motion in a short period of time.

I would advise getting with someone who understand flexibility and can guide you on what muscles are tight and focus on those areas. We also have great flexibility routines and exercises in our online training program.