Simple Flexibility Exercises and Stretches Can Prevent Injury

Flexibility WorkoutsFlexibility WorkoutsMany a weekend warrior has experienced injury or nagging ailments related to physical exertion. In fact, most all of them have several tales about pain, swelling and discomfort stemming from a day on the courts, the diamond, the field or wherever their sport of choice is played. Well, there are some simple steps that can be taken to remedy or, even better, prevent these discomforts.

Flexibility exercises help condition the body to move more easily and effectively, and also help decrease the chances of damage to muscles, ligaments and bones that sometimes happen during physical activity. These exercises are good for almost everyone: from the athlete to the couch potato; from the high school teenager to the middle aged accountant, from the two-year-old to the seventy- two-year-old.

Some of the best flexibility maneuvers are stretches. There are many different stretching exercises ranging in complexity from the simple to the more complicated. The great thing about this kind of workout is that you do not have to go to a gym or fitness center to do them, and you do not need any special equipment. This simplicity will immediately eliminate some of those tailor-made excuses for not working out. You know the ones: I was too busy and couldn’t get to the gym. My car broke down and …. The equipment I usually use was occupied and I couldn’t wait. You get the idea.

Many flexibility enhancing exercises can be performed from the prone position, but if you would rather stand then that is not a problem because just as many can be performed while standing.
Stretches can be carried out before and after exercising. Many athletes, such as basketball and football players, stretch before a game to loosen muscles and prevent pulls and other injuries. After a game, players may follow a similar routine to relieve tightness in the muscles and to minimize stiffness that may develop later.