Remember the Formula?

A plan + Action = Continued Progress (Success defined!) But going forward with this Campaign, we are looking at the essential building blocks of your best workout.  In our last blog we did some convincing that Girls can lift without bulking. We got the Strong on the skinny ;) Now, Guys, we are talking to you too! We know, you know, you HAVE to stretch – especially if you are building strength.

This article is your Nudge to get this right. Because we care.

(Related article: Yoga is not a 'chick' workout)

You may have perfected the strength aspect, be fit enough to skip confidently up any hill and so flexibility has been delegated to the few stretches you think you need to do but sometimes forget to.  Don’t make that mistake! The best way to find perfect harmony in your workout, is by becoming more flexible.

Some Simple reminders to Improve Flexibility  

Here is a sad fact; we all are getting older (Sorry for the reminder). As we age, we lose our flexibility, and although it may not feel like a big deal at the moment it will become a bigger deal the longer you leave it. To add to this, we develop little bad habits in our movement and posture, that in time conspire to threaten us to a life of restrained mobility. Picture that. Would you like to be a gracious older person? We know the answer, we all want to age and remain Amazing in our own way.

Let’s talk joint health for a minute. Here is where strength and flexibility training meets up. Having strong muscles that are flexible is what you are aiming for. The more your muscles are able to flex, or lengthen, the better you can train to get your muscles stronger. Now, how protected are your joints? Imagine that scenario.

Reduced risk of injury is another, very welcome benefit. Obviously, the better range of movement you have, the abler you are to move unimpeded. In other words, you can do so much more. This obviously translates into everyday life.

Flexibility training is an amazing way to relax, have fun and become more in tune with your body.   

Convinced? Well, then it’s just for the How. And that’s where our Trainers come in!

What do our trainers have to say?

Flexibility is essential in achieving overall fitness for many reasons. It helps prevent injury, assists with recovering from a previous injury, and helps lengthen and strengthen muscles. It can be quite the challenge, and for men in particular, since people tend to take very little time to stretch after a workout. When people don't stretch after a workout, the muscles used and everything surrounding them become tight. Over time, this can really create a very limited range of motion and will cause many problems further down the road. Just this past week, I spoke with a member who told me about a recent injury caused from not being flexible enough. She forced her body at home to do something she simply wasn't flexible enough to do, and pushed past the point where she was able to benefit from what she was doing.  

Flexibility can be incorporated within a workout in many ways.  Let's say your hips are tight; work on lunges. Or your shoulders are needing some attention; do some arm circles with weights (or without). Or in between sets, stretch the muscle group you are working to help lengthen them.

Yoga can really help with achieving more flexibility, and I truly believe everyone should be incorporating yoga into their workout routines. In my yoga classes, there is a proper warm up, and then lots of focus on strengthening combined with stretching to achieve more flexibility, followed by more stretching to lengthen the parts of the body that were focused on. Flexibility is achieved by consistent effort, and a structured yoga class is a sure fire way to do just that. Dani Sanusi – Group Fitness Coordinator & Hatha Yoga Instructor

“From my experience as a personal trainer, it's not that people don't know that they're supposed TO stretch, the overwhelming majority are aware of that, and even know WHY it's so important to do so. What I find most is that people absolutely don't know HOW. It's really easy to simply say "Take a yoga class.", but this doesn't address the problem with everyone because the idea of going to a yoga class can be incredibly intimidating to some people! I know also that a lot of people will just reach the end of their attention span after a workout and think that they will do it once they get home, only to get busy doing everything else once they get there. Even those of us that 'know better' are guilty of it for sure! I like to make sure to dedicate time to stretching every few weeks when working with clients, since the allotted time doesn't always allow the opportunity to do it during training sessions. Of course, in a perfect world, you would take the time each and every session, but it's challenging to give a great workout in a half hour session and still have time to stretch thoroughly after. My best advice is to invest in yourself and your longevity and get with a trainer that is knowledgeable in stretching, at least until you are comfortable enough to venture into the scary world of yoga!  Each client has different issues to work with (Abilities, Injuries, impediments, etc), so some time with a trainer to focus on problem areas will give you tools to not only understand your body better but to focus on the stretching that directly applies to you. Once you get the confidence of feeling like you know what you are doing when you stretch, you may find yourself empowered enough to join us on the mat in yoga!” Alicia Santiago - Certified Personal Trainer & T.C.F. Nutrition Coach