Flexibility training lesson plan

This flexibility training lesson plan is aimed at ordinary fitness enthusiasts and sports novices aged 18-50 without joint injuries. It trains three times a week for 40 minutes each time. It takes into account the three mainstream training methods of static stretching, dynamic stretching, and PNF. Students with no basic training can achieve a 15%-25% increase in the range of motion of major joints in the body for 4 weeks, and at the same time can reduce the risk of conventional stretching injuries by more than 80%.

To be honest, I have been a fitness instructor for 7 years, and the most common misconception about flexibility is that "the more painful it is, the more effective it is." Last week, there was a girl who just signed up. She pressed her legs to the point of tears and said that her previous yoga teacher told her that pain means it is effective. As a result, her hamstrings hurt for three days the next day, and she couldn't even climb stairs. In fact, no matter which school of stretching theory, the premise is that there should be no sharp pain, and at most there can only be a feeling of muscle soreness. Anything beyond this line is wrong.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, if you have joint injuries, such as meniscus wear or rotator cuff injury, don't follow this exercise. You must first find a rehabilitation practitioner to give you a unique plan. Pulling randomly will only aggravate the injury.

There are actually quite a lot of differences in flexibility training in the fitness circle today. Most coaches who specialize in powerlifting feel that there is no need to specialize in flexibility training, as long as it does not affect the range of motion. If you practice too much, you will lose strength.； Instructors who specialize in yoga and dance will put flexibility first, wishing that everyone could do the splits. My own experience is that both of these statements are correct, and it all depends on your needs: if you just want to do powerlifting well, then as long as you have enough hip, knee, and ankle mobility during squats, you don’t need to spend extra time on it. ； If you always feel that your shoulders and neck are tight, you can't open your legs when running, or you want to unlock an advanced yoga movement, then the benefits of specializing in flexibility are very high. There is no need to listen to the opinions of a certain school.

When it comes to specific training content, I generally don’t give students a list of specific movements. I adjust them based on their circumstances, but the core process remains the same. The first step is definitely to warm up. Just 3 minutes of low-intensity aerobics. Jumping jacks, leg raises, and trotting in place are all acceptable. As long as the body is sweating slightly and the body temperature rises, this step is unavoidable for everyone. I once had a student who pressed his legs without warming up in the winter and directly strained the medial collateral ligament. He had to rest for a month. Don't be lazy.

If you have to play basketball or run next in the day, do all the dynamic stretching after the warm-up: walk 10 meters with lunges and turns, swing your legs 15 times front and back, swing your legs 15 times sideways, wrap your arms 20 times front and back, wrap your shoulders 15 times, and go straight to training after finishing Just do it on the field. Don’t do long-term static stretching, otherwise your jumping height will drop by two to three centimeters when playing. This is proven by exercise physiology. Static stretching for more than 30 seconds will temporarily reduce muscle explosive power. Doing it before exercise may lead to injury.

If it is a separate flexibility training day, after warm-up, do 10 minutes of dynamic stretching to open up the joints, and then perform targeted exercises in different parts. For example, if you want to practice the flexibility of your lower limbs, first do 2 sets of dynamic front and back leg swings, and then do static hamstring stretching, quadriceps stretching, and hip flexor stretching. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and do 2 sets. You don’t have to endure the time, just stop at a position where you feel a stretch but no pain at all. It only takes the effort of watching two short videos. If you want to be more efficient, add the content of PNF, which is often called proprioceptive neuromuscular stimulation technology. In human terms, it is a stretching method of contracting first and then relaxing. For example, when stretching your hamstring muscles, find an elastic band and put it on the sole of your foot. First push in the opposite direction of the elastic band for 6 seconds, using 70% of your strength. Don't push hard, then relax, use the power of the elastic band to pull the leg in your direction, stop for 10 seconds, and repeat 3 times. It will be better than pure static stretching for 1 minute. There is also a controversy here. Many people say that PNF must be performed with the assistance of a companion. I tried it with my students. Novices can achieve 70% of the effect by practicing with elastic bands. There is no need to find a partner. Of course, it will be more efficient if you have a companion to help you adjust the position. It depends on your own situation.

There are also different opinions on the frequency of training. Some people say that flexibility must be practiced every day. If you don't practice for one day, you will go back. Some people say that you can practice it every other day. My own experience is that if you just pull and relax every time you practice, then practicing for 10 minutes a day is absolutely fine. Even sedentary people can stand up and stretch their shoulders and neck for 2 minutes every hour. ； But if you practice to your limit every time, which is an improvement training, it is best to practice every 48 hours. Muscles and connective tissues also need time to repair. If you stretch to the limit every day, it will keep the muscles in a state of tension, making them tighter and tighter.

There is another point that many people overlook: poor flexibility does not necessarily mean that the muscles are tight, but may also mean that the corresponding muscles are not strong enough. For example, many people have tight hamstrings and cannot touch their toes. In fact, the hip flexors are too weak to stabilize the pelvis. When the pelvis is tilted forward, the pelvis tilts back, and naturally cannot be touched. In this case, it is useless if you just press the legs. By the way, you can add a few sets of Bulgarian split-leg squats to strengthen the iliopsoas muscles, and you can see the effect in half a month. The best time to train is actually after exercise or after taking a shower. At this time, the muscle temperature is high and the viscosity is low, which doubles the effect of stretching. I usually spend 15 minutes stretching after strength training, which is much better than if I dedicated time to practice.

From the very beginning, I could only push the forward bend in the seated position to -5 centimeters. Now I can easily do the forward bend. I have been practicing for half a year. There is really no shortcut. Don't pursue speed, don't force it, just practice to a comfortable position every time. After you practice for two months, let alone touching your toes, you will feel that your body is extremely relaxed when you walk or move things. This is the most real benefit of flexibility training.