Flexibility training should be done at least several times a week

For ordinary healthy people, if they want to maintain the existing range of joint mobility, flexibility training should be done at least 2-3 times a week.； If there is a clear need to improve flexibility (for example, to practice one-line horses, improve squat limitations), the frequency should be mentioned 5-7 times a week to see obvious results. Of course, this number is not a fixed standard. It must be adjusted based on your training goals, sports foundation and even daily work habits.

I used to have a runner who had been running marathons for 5 years. He usually only liked to pile up the mileage and do strength training with the club on weekends. Flexibility training was at the level of "stretching for 30 seconds only when I remember it, forget it if I can't remember it." After all, it might not be enough to complete a complete stretch in a week. Last fall, he suddenly said that it was difficult to squat on the toilet, and there was always a dull pain on the inside of his knees. He went to the rehabilitation department for evaluation. The doctor said that his hamstrings and hip flexors were as tight as old rubber bands that had been left for a winter. Not to mention that he was not generating the right strength when running, and he could not even squat to a normal range. Later, according to the requirements of the rehabilitation therapist, I would do 15 minutes of lower limb stretching on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week before going to bed. In just over a month, the problem of pain when squatting disappeared, and my pace actually increased by 10 seconds.

The current common reference in the sports field is the guidelines issued by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which clearly recommends that the general population complete flexibility training 2-3 times a week, stretching 2-4 groups of each target muscle group, and maintaining static stretching for about 30 seconds in each group, which can meet the basic needs of maintaining joint mobility. However, many friends around me who are engaged in functional training and gymnastics teaching feel that this standard is too "textbook" and there is no need to be so stuck in actual use.

Their point of view is that the cumulative effect of flexibility training is far more important than the "number of times" involved. There is no need to save a lot of time to get enough training. When you are fishing at work, you can turn your shoulders and pull your trapezius muscles. After sitting for an hour, stand up and stretch your iliopsoas muscles. After lunch, you can press your legs while standing to check your phone. If you add up to 10 minutes every day, the effect will be much better than if you deadlift twice a week and deadlift for half an hour. Even if you can insist on this kind of fragmented stretching, even if you only make up for 5 days of fragmented time every week, the effect will be stronger than sticking to the guideline 3 times a week.

Of course, there are different voices. Many powerlifting practitioners do not recommend high-frequency static flexibility training. I talked to a powerlifter competing in a competition before, and he said that if it is during the preparation period, he should do a full-body relaxation stretch at most once a week, or do it when he is completely relaxed after training. After all, static stretching will temporarily reduce the explosive force and power output of the muscles. If he pulls every day, it will affect his deadlift and squat performance. His flexibility training is basically placed in the warm-up phase, and dynamic stretching is enough to activate it. The frequency follows the strength training, and he does not specifically increase the amount 4-5 times a week.

Speaking of which, I have been through the pitfalls of flexibility training before. When I first learned yoga, I pressed my legs hard every day in order to do a quick squat. Every time, I grimaced in pain. As a result, after practicing for half a month, I not only couldn't do a straight squat, but also strained the back of my thigh. I took a break for almost a month. Later I learned that flexibility training is not more frequent, the better, nor does it mean the more severe the pain, the more effective it is. When stretching, it is enough to have obvious soreness and no tingling. If the pain is so painful that you can't help but tremble, it will cause the muscles to activate the protective mechanism to contract, making the muscles tighter and tighter.

In fact, there is really no need to dwell on the dead number of "at least a few times." If you sit in the office and face the computer every day, and your shoulders and neck are as stiff as rocks, even if you spend 5 minutes turning your head and stretching your shoulders after get off work every day, 7 times a week is not too much. ； If you usually practice strength or ball sports three times a week, and spend 10 minutes after each training session to stretch the parts practiced that day, it will just be enough for the basic amount of three times a week, and there is no need to add more.

After all, flexibility training is the most "honest". Your body will give you feedback on how much fragmented time you invest. Rather than being stuck on the number of times to complete the task, it is better to develop the habit of stretching twice when you think about it. When you suddenly find that you don't have to bend down to tie your shoelaces or turn your head to look at the back seat without having to turn your whole body, you will know that the effort was not in vain.