Trainer » Stretches

7 Good Steps To Follow To Improve On Your Flexibility

Jacqueline Yawson — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 16:04:04 +0000

The big question here is that, what is flexibility?
Flexibility or limberness refers to the absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints to induce a bending movement or motion.
One of the main aspects of body fitness is flexibility, and stretching is one of the best ways to enhance flexibility. With age, our muscles and joints become stiffer and tighter, thus reducing the flexibility of the body.
But regular practice of muscle stretching exercises help in keeping the muscles, tendons, and joints flexible and agile, thus reducing the risk of injuries.
Many are the people who wish to exercise their body’s flexibility but do not how. Here ways to improve one’s flexibility:

Chest:

Take a pair of dumbbells with the amount of weight you would use for about 12 reps of flies. Lie flat on a bench and lift them in a contracted position. Then slowly lower them where your pecs will be stretched to the maximum possible. Hold this position.

Triceps:

Position a bench with about a 60-degree incline. Grasp a pair of dumbbells, sit and lean back on the bench. Extend both arms straight upward and then lower the dumbbells slowly to either side of your head. Hold until a stretch is complete.

Basic stretching exercises:

These exercises stretch the muscles in the leg and back that are tight. Maintaining flexible muscles in the legs and back is desirable as it allows the muscles and joints to work more efficiently and decreases the frequency of muscle injuries.

hamstrings:

Prop your leg on any raised surface, a chair or bench works fine. Keeping your leg straight in front of you, bend your torso without curling your back forward and try to touch your toes. Hold this position.

Back (lats):

Hang from a bar with your palms facing away from you in a pull-up position. Lift your body up then back down. Once in the down position, hang from the bar for 30 seconds. Note if you don’t have access to a pull-up bar or unable to perform this exercise, simply stretching and holding your arms as high as possible is also a great lat stretching exercise.

Back (lower):

Lie on your back with knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the back of your thighs and pull your legs toward your chest. Pull until a gentle stretch is felt. Hold this position.

Inner thigh:

Sit on the floor. Place the soles of your feet together and bring them about two feet away from your body. Place your hands on your knees and gently push down toward the floor. Slowly bend forward, trying to touch your nose to your feet.

Note: The above-mentioned steps are very good not for only flexibility but also for the strong and healthy body. Try exercising daily for body fitness and strong muscles.

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Causes Of Muscle Cramps And How To Treat It

Jacqueline Yawson — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 12:06:18 +0000

1. An involuntary, spasmodic muscle contraction causing severe pain.
2. Temporary partial paralysis of habitually or excessively used muscles.
Cramps Spasmodic contractions of the uterus, such as those occurring during menstruation or labor, usually causing pain in the abdomen that may radiate to the lower back and thighs.
There are different types of cramps that can be classified as muscle, leg, stomach and so etc.
But in this article, we are going to look at muscle cramps and it causes and also how to prevent such cramp from occurring to the human body.
What is muscle cramp?
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Muscle cramps are very common and ‘cramp’ is usually taken to mean ‘a spasmodic, painful, involuntary contraction of skeletal muscle’. This transient, involuntary episode of pain is usually brief may for a minute or 10.
CAUSES OF MUSCLE CRAMPS
If you haven’t strained a muscle, you’re probably cramping because your muscle is fatigued or overused, because your body is dehydrated, or because you’re not getting enough electrolytes, such as potassium or magnesium.
Cramps can be caused by :

Alcoholism

This is an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic drink; alcohol dependency. Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) as “a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations which may gradually contribute to the rise of cramps.

hypothyroidism

This is the abnormally low activity of the thyroid gland, resulting in retardation of growth and mental development in children and adults. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. This condition is often called underactive thyroid which relates to the rising or occurring of cramps.

or diabetes
Diabetes may also give rise to the formation of cramps and proper treatment must be adopted.
TREATMENT OR CURE:

Stretching:

Relax the cramping muscle. Stop any activity that may have induced the cramp and lightly stretch the muscle, gently holding the stretch. You may even massage the muscle while or after you stretch, and maybe apply a heating pad as described below, to the area after stretching.

Magnesium:

Sarah Thompson, a doula, and acupuncturist at Sacred Vessel Acupuncture said that the first recommendation for patients with leg cramps should be magnesium. Magnesium has been suggested for treating pregnant women’s muscle cramps, but more studies are needed.
Now to the pregnant women, please do communicate with your doctor before taking any supplements. Anyone who regularly has leg cramps that are not related to a more serious condition should try adding more magnesium to his or her diet always. Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of magnesium.

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4 Hamstring Stretches To Do At Work

Oluwatosin Faith Kolawole — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 02:01:48 +0000

Many people spend so much time sitting at their desks at work all day. Some spend long hours, and most of the time, it is usually not consciously. It might be as a result of the kind of job the individual does. There are so many risks attached to sitting for pretty long hours, and a major one is tight hamstrings.
Hamstrings are the muscles that make up the back of the thigh, and if strained, can be really painful or cause damage to some tendons in that region. You might not have the luxury of time to exercise your hamstrings, and the nature of your job might not always permit you to get off your desk for some time to exercise.
However, there are some exercises you can do at your work desk, that will help stretch and strengthen your hamstrings. Below are some

1. Seated twist

Sit upright on your chair, and keep a tall, long spine. Now, place your right hand on the outside of your right knee and use the same hand as leverage to twist to your right. Try to stretch your right hand as far to the left as much as you can and hold on to something while you twist. Do this between breaths. Exhale; move into your twist, and inhale while you relax back. Repeat this process on the left side and keep switching sides.

2. Standing forward bend

Stand a few inches away from your chair with your feet hip-width apart. Now, exhale and bend forward from your waist. Slide your hands down on the fronts of your legs and don’t stop until you feel a stretch on your hamstrings. For every time you exhale, try to stretch a little more. Remain in this position for a while, and return to your original position with your back upright. You can then repeat.

3. The wooden leg

Move your butt to the edge of your chair. Leave your left foot flat on the floor, while you stretch the right leg out in front of you. Place the heel of your outstretched right leg on the floor and try to lean a bit forward, so as to stretch your hamstring. When you feel the stretch, maintain the pose for a while, then relax and switch to the other side.

4. Seated pigeon

This pose is similar to the pigeon pose in yoga, but in this case, it is done on a chair. Sit on the edge of your chair and place your right ankle over your left knee, such that your left foot is indirectly under your left knee. Sit upright and keep your spine tall. Now, raise your head slowly and direct it towards the ceiling, like there’s something pulling the crown of your head upwards. You will feel a stretch in the muscles of your thigh. Hold this stretch for some seconds and repeat the process on the other side.

Conclusion

These exercises work to stretch the muscles of the thigh and reduce the risk of muscle strain, ache, and weakness.

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