New research shows how long, hard and infrequently you must stretch to enhance your flexibility.

Can you reach down and touch your toes without bending your knees? Can you reach each arms overhead? If this looks like a struggle, chances are you’ll lack flexibility.

Flexibility is the flexibility of a joint to maneuver through it. Full range of motion. It helps you. Do most sports activities. And can stop Muscle injuries. And since most on a regular basis activities require a certain quantity of flexibility (like bending down or twisting), this can show you how to. Maintaining functional independence As you age.

Although there are numerous types. to pullis static drag The most common. It involves positioning a joint to elongate the muscle and holding it still for a set time frame – often between 15 and 60 seconds. An example is standing in front of a chair, placing one foot on the chair and straightening your knee to stretch your hamstrings.

Static stretching is widely used to enhance flexibility. But there are not any clear recommendations concerning the maximum amount required. Our New research Check out how long, how hard and the way often you must stretch to enhance your flexibility – it's probably lower than you expect.

Assessing the information

Our research team spent the last 12 months collecting data from lots of of studies on hundreds of adults from around the globe. We checked out 189 studies of greater than 6,500 adults.

Studies Comparison Effects of a single session or multiple sessions of static stretching on a number of flexibility outcomes, in comparison with those that didn’t stretch.

how long

We've found that stretching for about 4 minutes (total) in a single session is best for immediate improvements in flexibility. Any more and also you see no further improvement.

For lasting improvements in flexibility, it seems you must stretch a muscle for longer periods of time – about ten minutes per week for the best improvement. But it doesn't should occur suddenly.

How hard?

You can consider the stretch as hard, while you experience increased pain, or easy, when the stretch you’re feeling isn’t uncomfortable.

The excellent news is that it doesn't matter how hard you stretch – each hard (stretching to the purpose of discomfort or pain) and straightforward stretching (pulling below the purpose of pain) improve flexibility equally.

how repeatedly

If you ought to improve your flexibility, it doesn't matter how repeatedly you stretch each week. The essential thing is that you just aim for ten minutes per week for every muscle you stretch.

So, for instance, you may stretch each muscle for greater than a minute a day or five minutes twice every week.

How much time you need to spend stretching will depend upon what number of muscles you must stretch. If you’re less flexible, you will have to spend more time, given that you’ll have more “tight” muscles to stretch than should you are more flexible.

Can everyone improve their flexibility?

Encouragingly, it doesn't matter what muscles you pull, how old you’re, your gender, whether you're a couch potato or an elite athlete – everyone can improve their flexibility.

Static stretching might be done anywhere and anytime. And you don't need any equipment. You can stretch to show you how to loosen up while watching your favorite TV show, while on the office, or after walking the dog. It's an amazing approach to start and end your day.

Although the precise stretch needed will depend upon which muscles are “tight,” some quite common stretch examples include:

• Place one foot on the bench and bend forward on the waist and stretch your hamstrings while keeping your knee straight.
• Stretch your quadriceps muscles by bending your knee and gripping your ankles together with your hips
• Reach out with one arm while bending your elbow Stretch your triceps The muscles

However, one of the best advice is to see a professional health skilled, resembling a physiotherapist or exercise specialist, who can perform an assessment and prescribe you specific parts in your individual needs.

As you may see, it's not likely that much to be more flexible.