4 Reasons Why Flexibility Is Important

Flexibility is perhaps one of the least “sexy” topics in fitness (except with that picture). Talk to man about increasing his strength, power, or how to get six packs abs and he’s all ears. Talk to him about the importance of stretching, cooling down, body function, and injury prevention and he’ll be lights out in no time.

Regardless if you want to insure your healthy as your squat numbers go up, land punches better, or just simply keep or even increase your mobility as you age you should pay attention to your flexibility.

There are many benefits of working on your flexibility and stretching. They don’t have to take lots of time and are something that you can do when you get home or even on a commercial break. Regardless if your a fighter, powerlifter, bodybuilder, or just a man who likes to stay in shape it is in your best interest to include some stretching and flexibility measures into your program.

Reason #1 – Injury Prevention

Nothing can derail your progress like an injury can. You’re better off not touching the weights for a month than you are getting an injury that puts you out for the same amount of time. As when you come back you can’t go full bore with the injured bodypart but must gradually build yourself back up, which can be a very slow process depending on what you injure.

Injury prevention is very important to having a healthy and long fitness career. In addition to insuring that your muscles are pliable so that they can meet the depends of the lifts that you are doing or the hits you are taking flexibility also makes sure that you are using a full range of motion on a movement.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the guy who loads up four plates on each side and proceed to do quarter squats. Granted that is generally an ego instead of a flexibility issue but it still applies. Not having full range of motion of lifts can lead to imbalances which lead to injuries and put you out.

Reason #2 – Posture

Posture is an important part of being attractive to women and making the right impression with men. See a man who has his shoulders slumped forward, his head down, and rounds his back and you will have a low opinion of that man. Likewise see a man who stands straight with his shoulders pulled back, his head up, and makes eye contact with you, you will have a high opinion of.

People who have poor flexibility have a hard time correcting their posture and then staying there. They have tight lower backs, tight hamstrings, and tight in other places as well. This leads to a tight restrained look. Not exactly flattering in any way, shape, or form. Including stretches into your program for those targeted tight areas can do wonders do improve your posture and alleviate day to day pain.

Reason #3 – Makes You Feel Good

Stretching produces endorphins (the things that make you feel good) as well as helps with overall production of endorphins as well. They work perfectly for a cool down after a hard workout to bring your body back to normal levels as well as help facilitate the recovery process.

Stretching can help relieve pains and aches that have been troubling you for some time. When your body cannot go through its natural range of motion this can cost of host of problems. Things bumping up against things they shouldn’t, rubbing together, and so on and so forth. Being flexible allows your body to have its natural range of movement and can help prevent reoccurring aches and pains.

Reason #4 – Fights The Aging Process

Flexibility tends to decrease as our age increases. This can lead to reduced range of movement and an increased likelihood for injury (see benefits above). Just because one’s body ages doesn’t mean their mind does. Many still want to live the life they have always lived and do the things that they have always done. However their decreased flexibility leads to stiffness which only gets worse if they do not address it. This is why a man who played college ball without so much as a scratch yet break his hip slipping from a chair later in life.

Flexibility and strength are two key assets that lessen over the years unless something is done about it. The good news is you can fight the aging process by stretching and remaining flexible. For example when I was doing karate I had sensei who was in his late sixties yet could still do the full splits. Compare that to many men in their late sixties are already looking at wheelchairs.

 Summary

While strength should always be the focal point of your workout this doesn’t mean you should neglect other facets. They all have a part to play in your overall development and all are important. Flexibility is no exception. Even including a ten minute cool down after your workout consisting of basic stretches will help prevent you from succumbing to the negative effects of having no flexibility.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.

-Charles Sledge