Mobility and flexibility
Our mobility and flexibility of movement are perhaps the key to our success.
These are two essential concepts not only for athletes, but for anyone’s daily life.
Imagine having difficulty picking up an object from the floor or performing a simple household activity, such as sweeping the house.
Both help in these movements and prevent overloads on the joints.
- Mobility is the ability to make movements within a large range, voluntarily.
It is related not only to the ability to move the bones that make up the joints and the cartilage between them, but also to the flexibility of the muscles that help in the execution of the desired movement.
To understand: One way to exemplify mobility is when, during the squat, the practitioner is able to keep the heels in contact with the ground while the thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Flexibility is the ability of an individual to move a joint at a full angle of motion.
In other words, it is about how much the muscle is able to stretch, an intrinsic property of soft tissues and which is commanded by the nervous system.
It is influenced by internal and external factors.
In the first group, we can include the extensibility of tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
In the second group, we included aspects such as gender, age, heredity, temperature, physical condition, breathing and concentration.
Movement
It is through movement that we can achieve energy to prolong our existence.
Therefore, maintaining this ability is the top priority because the body is an open system that constantly interacts with its surroundings.
That is why we must have a constant concern, if we really want to think about living a long and quality life. Mobility exercises play a crucial role in preventing muscle and joint injuries.
By improving aspects such as flexibility, stability and control of the joints, we significantly reduce the risk of injury during physical activities – or even in everyday tasks!
Our maintenance also depends on our choices, whether they are in terms of the type of movement we perform, the quality of our diet, the way we deal with stress in our day-to-day life or the quality of our sleep, among many other situations.
Training choices and suggestions imply maintaining our muscle and joint health.
We can’t always make the right choices.
However, we must take this responsibility and be constantly alert to the clarity of the consequences of these choices.
And above all, to allow greater knowledge and sensitivity, that is, the technical part, to be in charge of a professional, whether in the field of fitness or rehabilitation.
We will certainly have better health indices and healthier populations.
Stretching helps
Stretches help the muscles to perform any movements, without unnecessary tension.
It is as if they were preparing the body for the action that will come next.
They are preventive exercises and muscle care.
They should never be left aside.
They only bring advantages, since in addition to ensuring a better response to the practice of physical exercise, they provide improvement in posture, mobility and flexibility.
Different types of stretching exercises bring numerous advantages, avoiding muscle shortening, in addition to raising and stabilizing flexibility levels, reducing:
- The risk of muscle-joint injuries
- Back pain
- Postural injuries
- Muscle nodules
- Muscle tension
Lack of stretching causes long-term damage, can even cause postural problems, limit important movements in sport, leisure and everyday tasks Increases the risk of muscle and joint injuries, lower back pain or compression of the sciatic nerve.
Over time, with our aging, the connective tissues, which are part of the musculoskeletal composition, get closer and closer, losing their elasticity and naturally promoting a muscle imbalance.
Muscle fibers become shorter and lose elasticity, making movements increasingly restricted.
Thus, the regular practice of stretching helps to mitigate the negative effects related to aging.
It increases the flexibility of muscles and joints, reduces muscle tension, preventing injuries.
Types of stretches (most common)
1 – Static: maintenance of a slower stretch, which can be sustained for 30 seconds or more 2 – Dynamic: a series of quick and successive stretches 3 – Passive: use of external force such as gravity, or help from another person 4 – Active: contraction of antagonist muscles, that is, contracting one muscle to stretch another individually
Do not stretch if:
- Had a recent fracture
- There is sharp pain
- It has a bone lock that limits joint mobility
- There is evidence of an inflammatory or infectious process around a joint
- There is hematoma or indication of trauma
- Recently had muscle injuries
Warning: If the exercise or activity requires a lot of strength and/or power, stretching can be harmful and end up causing injury.
After an exercise that causes intense fatigue, the ideal is to wait a while to stretch.
Stretching exercises, as well as any other type of exercise, must be done carefully to avoid injury.
Therefore, it is recommended to be supervised by a physical education professional.
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