General Fitness Guide
Flexibility
Home
Flexibility
Cardiovascular Endurance
Muscular Endurance
Muscular Strength
Advanced Training Techniques
Fitness Statistics
Links/Sources

Flexibility - The length of an eccentric motion that a muscle can perform.

    Flexibililty is definitely one of the most important aspects of fitness and has a very substantial role in every other part. It is extremly important to maintain a high flexibilty, as it will reduce the risk of injury in any sport ten-fold and will also improve your performance. For some, flexibility does not come naturally, but even so it should still be strived for.
 
    If you are wondering how flexibilty works and why there are different levels of it, this page will explain. Flexibility is determined basically by how far a muscle can stretch it's fibers. As the fibers can stretch more, the muscle becomes more flexible. The reason a muscle needs to stretch is that when a muscle fibre contracts the muscle fibers shorten, and when it expands the muscle fibers lengthen. Now, the further the muscles fibers can stretch and lengthen the longer of an eccentric movement it can make, thus giving your more flexibililty.
 
    The best way to improve your flexibility is to stretch every muscle group two or three times a day before and after any period of exercise. But one thing to be very carefull of is that you are warmed up before you stretch, otherwise you can hurt your muscles because they will not be prepared to stretch, which can lead to a strain or pull.
 
    Below is a list of muscles that should be stretched on a regular basis.
 
 
 
 

Recommended Daily Stretching Muscles

Upper body
Lower Body
Pectorals
Quadraceps
Shoulders
Hamstrings
Biceps
Glutes
Triceps
Calves

Upper Back

Ankles

Abdominals

Pelvic Muscles