The importance of flexibility training

The two fitness types — endurance and strength — focus mostly on the capabilities of your major muscle groups. Flexibility, however, is in large part about your joints. Here's what you need to know about the importance of flexibility training.

The definition of flexibility is simple: It's the range of motion your body can go through.

• With age, range of motion naturally decreases. The goal of stretching and other flexibility exercises is to keep your range of motion as wide as possible.
• You have to maintain a certain range of flexibility and mobility because without that, you start restricting your activities. That creates a vicious cycle in which you engage in less activity, further reducing not only your flexibility and mobility but also your strength and endurance. Before you know it, you're grunting just trying to get out of a chair and saying no to invitations to walk, shop, or visit because it's just too challenging to bother. Unacceptable!

Flexibility exercises strive to do a few things. They wash the key parts of your joints — the bones, tendons, ligaments, and cushionlike substances between — with nutrients and blood. They also keep the tendons and ligaments strong and stretchable. And, just as important, they keep the muscles attached to your joints loose and flexible. After all, that's the key function of a muscle: To move your body through constant stretching and compressing.

• Stretching, in other words, does a lot of important things. However, it's also one of the easiest and most pleasurable types of exercise there is. And it requires no gear whatsoever.

To properly stretch a muscle and its related tendons and ligaments, you want to slowly get into the extended position, then hold it for 20 to 30 seconds. This is much different from what many people do, however. Too often, people jerk and pull their muscles, holding the stretch for just a few seconds, if at all. Be patient!

• By slowly stretching a muscle and then holding the stretch for the suggested time, you are maximizing the benefits and minimizing the chances of injury.
• Aim to do flexibility exercises at least twice a week. These include basic stretching, reaching, and bending.
• Activities like yoga, tai chi, and Pilates provide excellent opportunities for improving your flexibility. The beauty of these is that you can do them anywhere — even sitting on a plane. But many of your daily activities also provide good opportunities for stretching.

Stretching is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy flexibility. Keep these tips in mind and stretch the right way for the best results.