Improving your flexibility is one of the most effective strategies to enhance your health and relieve aches and pains. Stretching is something your body regularly requires, whether you are highly active or very passive.
Physical Rehabilitation centers can help you retain or restore functional mobility, making it easier for you to stand, walk, climb, and bend.
Specialized physical therapists’ clinics work with you after surgery or an accident to help you regain mobility and flexibility to the point that you can engage in everyday activities, return to work, and exercise.
Some persons with osteoarthritis benefit from continuing physical treatment to maintain mobility and self-sufficiency.
Importance of stretching and flexibility
Flexibility is the capacity to extend a muscle not to become stiff, tight, or painful. Flexibility influences mobility and restricts the range of motion when you’re inflexible. Scar tissue, tense muscle fibers, and inflammatory connective tissue are all factors that limit flexibility.
How physical therapy aids in improving flexibility?
Physical therapists treat injuries and disorders of the muscles, ligaments, fascia, tendons, and bones at any physical rehabilitation.
Physical therapy may be recommended to help you recover from fractures, sprains, tendinitis, and bursitis. After surgery, physical rehabilitation is essential for a disease like carpal tunnel syndrome, joint replacement, or biceps tendon repair.
Here are some suggestions for increasing your flexibility in a short amount of time:
Warm up dynamically before working out.
Instead of static stretching, you should do more active warm-ups before working out. This improves the elasticity of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments by bringing fluid to them. According to new research, dynamic stretching is more beneficial than static stretching in helping your forces prepare for strengthening, running, or other athletic activities. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and jumping jacks are examples of dynamic warm-ups. Warm-up your body by doing 2-3 sets of 20-30 repetitions.
Try to get a full range of motion
Stretching should include moving through the whole range of motion. For example, don’t only focus on extending your shoulders at the peak of the action. Stretch at the absolute top after moving through the complete range of motion. This teaches your muscles to contract and relax at the appropriate periods during the action.
Light static stretching should be done after a workout.
It’s essential to softly stretch the major muscle groups after workouts, such as the hamstrings, hip flexors, spine, and chest. Your stretches should be longer as you become older. After 55, each time should be held for at least a minute per muscle group. Never stretch to the point of discomfort; instead, feel a soft pull and then slowly proceed further into the stretch after you sense a release.
Drink plenty of water.
Muscles are comprised mainly of water and require lubrication to function correctly. Your muscles, like your automobile, need water to lubricate components and keep the engine running smoothly. Furthermore, your muscles need the proper electrolytes, particularly potassium, sodium, and calcium, to perform correctly. You should not only drink enough water to keep your body hydrated, but you also need to consume additional sports drinks to replace your electrolytes.
Develop good breathing techniques.
Many people breathe through their rib cage more during or after an exercise. This trend is exacerbated by stress and is a primary cause of people’s shoulders feeling stiff or unpleasant. Work on taking more profound yet regulated breaths in for 4-6 seconds and out for 6-8 seconds during your stretching practice. Try to raise your belly button while keeping your shoulders relaxed—these aid in activating your diaphragm and training your body to breathe correctly.
Massage and physical treatment
Working out your muscles, jogging, and participating in sports all put a strain on your body. Trigger points can form in muscles, and tissues can tighten. Fascia is the connective tissue that wraps around your muscles. This tissue tightens over time, mainly if it is used often or if it is injured. Myofascial release, which a physical therapy clinic, aids in the restoration of normal muscle and fascial function. Physical therapy and massage assist in breaking up trigger points and adhesions in the muscles. Having regular physical therapy and massage treatment will help you feel better.
Working with a physical therapist at any physical rehabilitation center to enhance your flexibility and joint range of motion can help you:
Improve ROM in the joints or modify where you have difficulty
Minimize injury throughout the exercise and routine daily activity proven
To help your muscles adapt for more demanding tasks
Calm your body and mind
