Basic movements of flexibility training

They are dynamic stretching such as lunges and twists and high leg walking, static active stretching such as Warrior Pose and single-leg balance stretching, static passive stretching such as seated angle poses and hamstring seated stretches, PNF stretching such as resistance hamstring stretching, joint range of motion activation such as ankle dorsiflexion and thoracic spine rotation, and fascial relaxation such as foam rolling quadriceps and tennis balls on the soles of the feet. Novices don’t need to follow Internet celebrities’ “7-day hip opening” and “10-day lower split” movements to practice blindly. These basic movements should understand the applicable scenarios and the logic of exertion, which is enough to cover more than 90% of daily needs.

Damn, I’m not making this up. Not long ago, I met a little girl in the gym downstairs who had just finished her college entrance examination. She had been saving up the “Flexibility Quick Guide” for half a month. She pressed her legs until tears came to her eyes every day. She practiced cross-spreads for a week and couldn’t do it. She had an adductor muscle strain and had to rest for less than half a month. She didn’t even have a good time on her graduation trip. Essentially, I don't understand the difference between these basic movements, and I just try to do it for the results, so I don't get hurt.

The static passive stretching we are most familiar with is what is often called "leg pressing" and "stretching". For example, sitting on the ground with one leg straightened and the other leg close to the hip, the hamstring stretching of the upper body slowly reaching forward, and the pectoralis major stretching of standing by the door with arms on the door frame and pressing the chest, are all typical. It should be mentioned here that this category of movements is really controversial. In the early 1970s, sports circles almost unanimously believed that "you cannot do static stretching before competition, as it will reduce explosive power." Most athletes in sports such as powerlifting and weightlifting still retain the habit of not doing long static stretching before competition. After all, they want to achieve maximum strength and do not want to risk any impact. However, the latest sports medicine research has confirmed that as long as each set of static stretching is controlled within 30 seconds, it will not only not affect sports performance, but also reduce muscle viscosity and reduce the risk of strain. Now many track and field and ball sports will add several sets of short-duration static stretching of 10-20 seconds to the warm-up. Both opinions are reasonable. The core depends on the scene you use it.

If it is the most used in the warm-up phase, it must be several basic movements of dynamic stretching. When I adjusted the warm-up plan for the men's basketball team of the university, I changed their previous habit of running three circles and then blindly pressing their legs to a process of lunging, turning, walking sideways, and circling their arms back and forth. After practicing for half a month, the number of people who told me that their knees hurt or their shoulders were sore after playing basketball was reduced by half. The core of dynamic stretching is to slowly increase the range of motion and not to throw it suddenly. For example, when doing a lunge and turning, you should feel the stretch in your side waist and hips every time you turn, and don't twist so much that your waist hurts, which will be counterproductive.

If you have been practicing static stretching for two or three months and your flexibility is still stuck and not improving, you can try the basic movements of PNF stretching. The most commonly used one is the resistance stretching of the hamstring muscles: Lie down and lift one leg, and ask your partner to hold your calf. You use about 30% of your strength to press down for 10 seconds, then relax completely, and ask your partner to gently press your legs toward your head for 15 seconds. Repeat this two or three times. You will feel that the looseness of the back of your legs is much better than pure static stretching. However, there are different opinions on this movement. Many people in the fitness circle do not recommend that novices practice it on their own for fear of straining if they exert too much force. Rehabilitation departments often use this movement to help post-operative patients recover their range of motion. The key is not to use too much resistance. If there is no one to help, you can do it by yourself with an elastic band. There is no need to find a partner.

What many people tend to overlook is that poor flexibility is not about tight muscles at all, but about insufficient joint mobility. I met a young man who was working out before. He couldn't squat parallel to the squat, and it was useless to press his hamstring muscles for half a month. Later, I found out that the dorsiflexion range of the ankle joint was not enough, so he practiced 10 sets of ankle-pressing movements against the wall every day, and he could squat to the bottom in half a month. Similar movements include thoracic spine rotation. Sit on a chair and turn your upper body. Hold the back of the chair with your hands to guide it in the direction of rotation. For people who sit in the office every day with chest and hunched back, this is much more effective than pulling on the shoulders. It can open up the flexibility of the thoracic spine and reduce shoulder and back pain.

Oh, by the way, there is another basic movement that many people do not include in flexibility training, which is relaxation with foam rollers and tennis balls. For example, use a foam roller to roll the quadriceps on the front of the thigh, roll the trapezius muscles on the upper back, and use a tennis ball to step on the soles of the feet to massage the fascia. I sat down for a week last month to work on a project. My shoulders were as hard as stone slabs after get off work every day. I stretched my pectoralis major and trapezius muscles for three days without any relief. Then I rolled a foam roller for two days, for 10 minutes each time, and I felt much more relaxed. To put it bluntly, fascia is like a plastic wrap wrapping muscles. It sticks together and cannot be loosened no matter how hard you stretch the muscles. This step is really unavoidable.

In fact, to be honest, there are not so many fancy movements in flexibility training. Those "12 hip-opening movements" and "8 stretching tools" in your favorites are essentially variations of these basic movements. Everyone's body structure is different. Some people are born with tight hips, and some people are born with flexible ankle joints. There is no need to limit your range of motion according to other people's standards. The most appropriate degree is a feeling of stretch and no pain. If you are really not sure what is suitable for you, it is better to find a reliable rehabilitation practitioner to evaluate you. Don’t be like that little girl who trains hard to strain. The gain outweighs the loss.~