What are some flexibility training tips?

Really useful flexibility training tips are never the wild methods of "hip opening in 7 days" or "horse racing in 3 days" posted on the Internet. They essentially follow the contraction laws of muscles and fascia, and can produce results without having to bear the pain.

I used to take a friend who loves hiking with me, but he always felt that his legs were stiff. Every time after climbing a mountain, he would squat on the side of the road and press his legs hard. He grinned in pain. After practicing for two months, his knees still felt tight when going down the steps. Later, he changed his method. He stopped every time he felt soreness and swelling, and adjusted the amplitude according to his breathing. In less than a month, he could easily sit cross-legged for two hours, and his legs did not feel heavy after walking more than ten kilometers on the mountain road.

The easiest pitfall for many people when practicing flexibility is to break off immediately. In fact, the prerequisite is to warm up the body first. Just like a rubber band is easy to break when it is pulled hard when it is frozen, it can be stretched very long when it is warmed by the sun. You must at least warm your body until your back is slightly damp and the muscles are warm and soft to the touch. Then you can start stretching. The effect will be more than twice as good as the cold deadlift, and it will not be easy to strain.

Regarding the choice of stretching method, there is actually no completely unified statement in the fitness circle. If you are an ordinary enthusiast who wants to improve your daily flexibility, then static stretching after exercise is most suitable. At this time, the muscle temperature is the highest, and it will not affect your training effect that day.； If you are going to play ball or run soon, do dynamic stretching before the game, such as raising your legs, swinging your legs back and forth, turning your shoulders, etc. Previous studies have shown that long-term static stretching before a game will reduce explosive power by about 10%, but many national team physical trainers have suggested that athletes who maintain systematic flexibility training all year round will not have this problem at all. Ordinary enthusiasts do not need to worry about this, as long as they do not cause pain when pulling, it will be fine.

There is another small detail that many people don’t notice: don’t hold your breath while stretching. I've seen many people's faces turn red when they press their legs, and they grit their teeth and press down hard. In fact, when they hold their breath, their muscles will subconsciously tighten and they won't be able to pull them apart. When you try to stretch, slowly inhale the air through your nose, and then slowly exhale through your mouth. When exhaling, follow the force to sink a little. You don’t need to use force, just follow the rhythm of your breathing. You will find that it is much more comfortable than hard pressure, and you can also pull deeper.

If you have a partner to practice with, you can also try the PNF stretching method commonly used by professional teams. To put it bluntly, it is to let the muscles use a small amount of force first, and its protective stress will be weaker, so you can naturally relax more fully. For example, when you pull the back of your thigh, ask your partner to hold your leg for you. You first push hard in the direction of resistance for 10 seconds. You don't need to use all your strength, just six or seven points of force. Then relax and let your partner gently help you lift your leg up a little. Hold it for 20 seconds. The effect is better than pulling it by yourself for half a day. Novices may be pleasantly surprised when they use it for the first time.

Friends who usually sit in the office don’t need to spend a lot of time practicing. After lunch, find an empty place and do a shoulder pull with a twist while supporting the wall, or a hip pull with a lunge, for 30 seconds each time, two groups on each side. Stiff shoulders and hip pain caused by sitting for a long time can be relieved a lot. I myself now do five minutes of pulls every day at three o’clock in the afternoon, which is much more refreshing than drinking iced coffee.

In fact, flexibility training is really not about doing bad postures or doing difficult postures. The essence is to make your joints move better. Whether it is sports, daily moving things, or holding children, you will not be easily injured. Do it three or four times a week, for more than ten minutes each time. Just take it slowly and don't compete with yourself to carry the pain.