Flexibility training methods

For the vast majority of ordinary people, the core of safe and effective flexibility training is a combination of "dynamic activation that matches one's own movement needs + low-load active stretching + daily posture correction". There is no need to pursue extreme range of motion, as long as it can meet daily activities and avoid sports injuries.

My earliest understanding of flexibility training was completely wrong. When I was in school, the physical test required seated forward bending. I sat on the ground every day for a week before the test, hugging my feet and forcefully bending them. Every time, I grimaced in pain. My grades didn’t improve much. My hamstrings were stretched and swollen, and I couldn’t even walk without a limp. Later, I started to go to the gym systematically, and after dealing with coaches and rehabilitation practitioners in different projects, I discovered that this matter is not as simple as "the more painful it is, the more effective it is." People in different fields even have quite different opinions on how to practice flexibility.

For example, static stretching, which has been scolded by many people for several years, is a kind of stretching that everyone often does while standing and forward bending, sitting on the ground and stretching legs. In the past, the kinesiology community unanimously said that you should never do it during warm-up. It will reduce muscle explosiveness and affect sports performance. I used to do static stretching for two minutes before long-distance running, and the coach scolded me when he saw it. However, new research has come out in the past two years. If the time of each static pull is controlled within 30 seconds, it will actually have little impact on explosive power. On the contrary, it can quickly relax tense muscles. For example, if you wake up stiff in the morning, doing a few short static stretches will be more effective than jumping around for half a day. If you do it after training or before going to bed, stretching for 30-60 seconds can actually help the muscles recover. I now lean against the wall and stretch my hip flexors for 30 seconds before going to bed to relieve the stiffness accumulated from sitting for a long time. My waist will not be tight when I wake up the next day.

There are also dynamic stretches that are currently in the limelight, such as the most common walking lunges, arm circles, and leg raises. They are stretches with movements. Many coaches now focus on this during warm-ups. Indeed, if you are going to play ball, run, or do strength training next, doing dynamic stretching for 10 minutes can not only increase joint mobility, but also activate muscles without losing strength. I know a girl who practices Ashtanga. She does 12 Moon Salutations every morning, which is a set of coherent dynamic stretching movements. Her flexibility is completely functional, and she can easily lower the crossbar. When running a half-marathon, her pace is very stable, and she does not suffer from the "soft and weak" problem. But dynamic stretching is not a panacea. If you have old injuries in your joints, or your muscles are in an acute inflammation stage, shaking them back and forth will stimulate the pain points. When I strained my rotator cuff last time, the rehabilitation therapist did not allow me to do dynamic stretching around my arms at all, saying that it would increase the friction under the acromion.

There is also the recently popular PNF stretching, which is the proprioceptive neuromuscular stimulation method. To put it simply, when pulling, you first resist the resistance for about 6 seconds, and then relax the stretch. For example, if you lie flat and have someone help you press your legs to stretch your hamstring muscles, first lift your legs to resist the other person's force for 6 seconds, and then relax, and the other person can press your legs lower. I tried it once, and my performance in seated forward flexion increased by 3 centimeters that day. The effect was frighteningly fast. But there is also controversy about this method. Those who support it say that it is more than 30% more efficient than ordinary stretching, and it is suitable for people who need to quickly improve their flexibility. Rehabilitation experts who oppose it say that ordinary people can easily exert force incorrectly without assistance, which will either have no effect or strain the muscles too hard. It is not as safe as ordinary stretching. I have friends who practice PNF at home, but they couldn’t find the right feeling of exertion without any help. As a result, their waists broke, and it took half a month for them to recover. So if you don’t have a professional to help you, don’t try this advanced method blindly.

To be honest, most people don’t need to devote an hour or two to practicing flexibility. I’ve seen many people enthusiastically go to stretching classes that cost hundreds of dollars a session on weekends, and it hurts all over. Then they sit still for 10 hours every day for the next week, and the little effect can’t be saved at all. On the contrary, it is enough to pay more attention to small details. Every hour after sitting, you can hold on to the table and rotate your hips twice to reach the ceiling. Don't cross your legs when taking the subway. When you lie down and check your phone at night, put your legs on the wall and stretch for 5 minutes. It will be much more effective than a sudden attack once a week.

After all, there is no unified standard answer to flexibility training. If you want to learn to dance or practice gymnastics, which requires a large range of joint mobility, then follow a professional teacher to practice systematically. Static and PNF can be arranged as needed.； If you are just an ordinary office worker and want to relieve back pain caused by sitting for a long time, or avoid straining during exercise, then just take three to five minutes a day to stretch out the tense areas. There is really no need to forcefully split your hair in Moments just to get a split. If you strain, you will be the only one in pain.