<p>When most people think of a gym, they have a mental picture of young boys and girls sweating it out, or overweight men and women trying hard to fight the onslaught of ageing. Flexibility is often overlooked, but it is just as essential to fitness as aerobics or strength training. It not only helps in your day-to-day activities, such as bending, walking and lifting objects, but also allows for better performance when playing sports or exercising.<br /><br /></p>.<p>But what really is flexibility? It is defined as the range of motion of one’s joints or the ability of one’s joints to move freely. It also refers to the mobility of one’s muscles, which allows for more movement around the joints. Range of motion is the distance and direction one’s joints can move in, while mobility is the ability to move without restriction.<br />One way to improve flexibility is to incorporate stretching into your fitness routine. Stretching during and after you workout can help ward off stiffness and keep you limber. <br />Yoga, for instance, uses different body positions and more sustained holds, thus improving one’s flexibility. The key to any stretching routine is regularity, and these activities are not meant to be done at high intensity.<br /><br />However, before you start stretching those joints, it’s prudent to keep a few important things in mind:<br /><br />Never skip the warm-up before stretching. Stretching when your muscles are cold could lead to injuries.<br /><br />Stretch your entire body.<br />Hold your stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds, but do not bounce.<br />Stretch to the point where you feel some mild tension. If you feel pain, stop and pull back until you feel no pain.<br />Breathe normally when stretching; never hold your breath.<br />Listen to pain<br />Exercise hurts. Even if you’ve not been diagnosed with a medical condition, a good workout will leave you sore. Most people have been conditioned to believe that pain is indicative of some problem, and sometimes, it is. But if you’re very active, particularly if such a workout programme is new to you, then you’ve got to expect some soreness and pain to come with the territory.<br /><br />If you’ve got a condition like osteoarthritis, pain from working out is almost guaranteed. But the flip side to that coin is that the pain of doing nothing will be even worse. For those who are overweight, studies suggest that reducing your weight can actually help improve your condition, and exercising is a crucial part of that. Some pain is worth listening to, and some isn’t. So how do you know which is which? The rule of thumb is that if you are in pain, but you can still carry on with your exercise, it is general soreness and you’re alright to continue with what you’re doing. <br /><br />If, however, the pain you experience physically stops you from engaging in activity, it’s time to take a break and rest for a day or two. If the pain persists, ask your doctor if there is cause for concern. The more you work out, the easier some of it will get, and the less pain you’ll experience.<br /><br />Always look for patterns in your pain. If you start to notice that certain activities cause you strange, specific, acute, or severe pain in one or more areas, ask your doctor about it before continuing on. If, however, it’s just general soreness after a workout, chances are you’ve just got to get used to the workout before it will start to subside.<br /><br />Never too old<br /><br />For those who are advancing in age, it’s crucial to keep joint and muscle health in mind, and to actively prevent against injury and weakness. Some people may say that if you’ve already got a disease or condition such as osteoarthritis, exercise will make it worse. But most physicians agree that there’s nothing you can do that will make it get any worse, any faster. While you might want to avoid impact sports so as to ensure your bones and joints are not further harmed, you can still be as active as you want.<br /><br />Swimming, elliptical machines and bicycling are all wonderful ways to keep your bones and muscles healthy. Yoga and Pilates have also been shown to strengthen your body and improve flexibility, too. Many senior citizens find that a combination of non- or low-impact cardio, strength training and yoga helps them stay active, lean, strong and agile.<br /><br />As people grow older, they start worrying about imbalance and falling, and with good reason. So, it’s a fine idea to take an inventory of your falling risk, especially if you are an older individual, or suffering from a medical condition that calls for assistance in day-to-day activities. That is not to say that exercise is not for you, but that you need to consult with a doctor before trying on a new fitness regime. <br /><br />Irrespective of one’s age or physical condition, it’s always good to consult with a medical expert before embarking on any exercise programme. <br /><br />Once you get the doctor’s go-ahead, there’s no reason not to tread the fitness path. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a gym membership or a fancy trainer to help you out. Some of the stretches are fairly simple and can be easily done at home. <br /><br />Don’t let disease or old-age become a deterrent. A body in motion will stay in motion, a body at rest will stay at rest, says the law of physics. And it’s quite true for human bodies as well. Getting and staying active can help delay or even prevent the onset of diseases of the joints, bones and muscles. The more you move around, the easier moving around will be. So, stay as active. Be flexible.<br /><br />Do it at home<br /><br />Grab the elbow of one arm with the hand of the other arm; pull your elbow across your chest. Hold this position and repeat for the other side.<br /><br />Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the back of your thighs and pull your legs towards your chest. Pull until a gentle stretch is felt. Hold this position.<br /><br />Kneel down on the floor in an all-four position on your hands and knees. Curl your back up toward the ceiling. Hold this position. Return to the starting position. Pull your stomach down to the floor hollowing out your back. Hold this position.<br /><br /> Prop your leg on any raised surface, a chair or bench works fine. Keeping your leg straight in front of you, bend your torso without curling your back forward and try to touch your toes. Hold this position.<br /><br /> Sit upright on the ground. Flex your knees and bring your heels together. Gently pull your feet towards your bottom. Place your elbows on the inside of your knees. Gently push your legs to the floor. Hold this position.<br /><br /><br /><em>(The author is a New Delhi-based fitness instructor)</em></p>
<p>When most people think of a gym, they have a mental picture of young boys and girls sweating it out, or overweight men and women trying hard to fight the onslaught of ageing. Flexibility is often overlooked, but it is just as essential to fitness as aerobics or strength training. It not only helps in your day-to-day activities, such as bending, walking and lifting objects, but also allows for better performance when playing sports or exercising.<br /><br /></p>.<p>But what really is flexibility? It is defined as the range of motion of one’s joints or the ability of one’s joints to move freely. It also refers to the mobility of one’s muscles, which allows for more movement around the joints. Range of motion is the distance and direction one’s joints can move in, while mobility is the ability to move without restriction.<br />One way to improve flexibility is to incorporate stretching into your fitness routine. Stretching during and after you workout can help ward off stiffness and keep you limber. <br />Yoga, for instance, uses different body positions and more sustained holds, thus improving one’s flexibility. The key to any stretching routine is regularity, and these activities are not meant to be done at high intensity.<br /><br />However, before you start stretching those joints, it’s prudent to keep a few important things in mind:<br /><br />Never skip the warm-up before stretching. Stretching when your muscles are cold could lead to injuries.<br /><br />Stretch your entire body.<br />Hold your stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds, but do not bounce.<br />Stretch to the point where you feel some mild tension. If you feel pain, stop and pull back until you feel no pain.<br />Breathe normally when stretching; never hold your breath.<br />Listen to pain<br />Exercise hurts. Even if you’ve not been diagnosed with a medical condition, a good workout will leave you sore. Most people have been conditioned to believe that pain is indicative of some problem, and sometimes, it is. But if you’re very active, particularly if such a workout programme is new to you, then you’ve got to expect some soreness and pain to come with the territory.<br /><br />If you’ve got a condition like osteoarthritis, pain from working out is almost guaranteed. But the flip side to that coin is that the pain of doing nothing will be even worse. For those who are overweight, studies suggest that reducing your weight can actually help improve your condition, and exercising is a crucial part of that. Some pain is worth listening to, and some isn’t. So how do you know which is which? The rule of thumb is that if you are in pain, but you can still carry on with your exercise, it is general soreness and you’re alright to continue with what you’re doing. <br /><br />If, however, the pain you experience physically stops you from engaging in activity, it’s time to take a break and rest for a day or two. If the pain persists, ask your doctor if there is cause for concern. The more you work out, the easier some of it will get, and the less pain you’ll experience.<br /><br />Always look for patterns in your pain. If you start to notice that certain activities cause you strange, specific, acute, or severe pain in one or more areas, ask your doctor about it before continuing on. If, however, it’s just general soreness after a workout, chances are you’ve just got to get used to the workout before it will start to subside.<br /><br />Never too old<br /><br />For those who are advancing in age, it’s crucial to keep joint and muscle health in mind, and to actively prevent against injury and weakness. Some people may say that if you’ve already got a disease or condition such as osteoarthritis, exercise will make it worse. But most physicians agree that there’s nothing you can do that will make it get any worse, any faster. While you might want to avoid impact sports so as to ensure your bones and joints are not further harmed, you can still be as active as you want.<br /><br />Swimming, elliptical machines and bicycling are all wonderful ways to keep your bones and muscles healthy. Yoga and Pilates have also been shown to strengthen your body and improve flexibility, too. Many senior citizens find that a combination of non- or low-impact cardio, strength training and yoga helps them stay active, lean, strong and agile.<br /><br />As people grow older, they start worrying about imbalance and falling, and with good reason. So, it’s a fine idea to take an inventory of your falling risk, especially if you are an older individual, or suffering from a medical condition that calls for assistance in day-to-day activities. That is not to say that exercise is not for you, but that you need to consult with a doctor before trying on a new fitness regime. <br /><br />Irrespective of one’s age or physical condition, it’s always good to consult with a medical expert before embarking on any exercise programme. <br /><br />Once you get the doctor’s go-ahead, there’s no reason not to tread the fitness path. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a gym membership or a fancy trainer to help you out. Some of the stretches are fairly simple and can be easily done at home. <br /><br />Don’t let disease or old-age become a deterrent. A body in motion will stay in motion, a body at rest will stay at rest, says the law of physics. And it’s quite true for human bodies as well. Getting and staying active can help delay or even prevent the onset of diseases of the joints, bones and muscles. The more you move around, the easier moving around will be. So, stay as active. Be flexible.<br /><br />Do it at home<br /><br />Grab the elbow of one arm with the hand of the other arm; pull your elbow across your chest. Hold this position and repeat for the other side.<br /><br />Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the back of your thighs and pull your legs towards your chest. Pull until a gentle stretch is felt. Hold this position.<br /><br />Kneel down on the floor in an all-four position on your hands and knees. Curl your back up toward the ceiling. Hold this position. Return to the starting position. Pull your stomach down to the floor hollowing out your back. Hold this position.<br /><br /> Prop your leg on any raised surface, a chair or bench works fine. Keeping your leg straight in front of you, bend your torso without curling your back forward and try to touch your toes. Hold this position.<br /><br /> Sit upright on the ground. Flex your knees and bring your heels together. Gently pull your feet towards your bottom. Place your elbows on the inside of your knees. Gently push your legs to the floor. Hold this position.<br /><br /><br /><em>(The author is a New Delhi-based fitness instructor)</em></p>
