What are the basic movements of flexibility training?

At present, there is no absolutely uniform standard answer in the sports circle, but the basic movements that are the most universal and used in almost all training systems are mainly static stretching such as seated/standing forward bends, supine hamstring stretches, and reverse chest stretches, dynamic stretching such as shoulder circles, hip circles, lunges, and basic contraction-relaxation movements in the proprioceptive neuromuscular stimulation method (also known as PNF stretching). Beginners can hardly go wrong by practicing these movements.

The reason why there is no unified standard is actually that practitioners in different training directions have quite different cognitions. For example, most coaches who focus on mass fitness think that only a few static movements are considered the basics. Dynamic stretching is relegated to the warm-up sequence and is not considered the core of flexibility training.； However, many physical trainers of professional teams will include dynamic joint opening and closing movements in the basics. After all, ordinary people now generally sit for long periods of time, and their hips and shoulders are very stiff. It is easy to strain if you press hard in the static state. Opening up the joint mobility first is the prerequisite for improving flexibility.

In the past two years, I helped my friends with several junior high school students who were preparing for the physical examination. There was a little boy who couldn't even touch the ground with his fingertips when he started to bend forward. He grinned in pain every time he pressed hard. Later, I didn't let him directly bend forward. Before each training, he did 2 sets of hip circles, then 3 sets of dynamic activation of side-lying hip abduction, and finally did 30 seconds of static hamstring stretching while lying on his back. In just two weeks, he was able to put his whole palms on the ground, and he got full marks in the physical examination.

To be honest, there is nothing mysterious about the basic movements of flexibility training. The essence is to "relax" your muscles and fascia that have been tense for a long time. It is the same as slowly stretching out the wet towel after you have wring it out. There is no need to pursue any fancy high-level movements. Let's say you usually have sore shoulders and stiff back after sitting for three or four hours at work. Stand up and do 10 backward shoulder wraps, then clasp your hands behind your back and sink down for 15 seconds. It is much more effective than lying on the table and kneading for a long time.

Of course, many senior trainers think that the above mentioned are just "warm-up movements". Only the contraction-relaxation of PNF can be regarded as the basic movement that can really improve flexibility. For example, when you stretch your hamstring muscles until you feel obvious soreness, you should actively tighten the hamstring muscles for 6 to 10 seconds, and then lengthen them a little longer when they relax. This method is indeed very efficient, but it is easy for novices to strain the muscles incorrectly if no one is with them, so it is not widely used as a basic introduction to ordinary people.

Anyway, for ordinary people, there is really no need to worry about which is the "orthodox" basic movement. Pick a few movements that are comfortable for you and can cover commonly used parts such as shoulders, hips, and legs. Practice for 10 minutes at a time, and if you insist on it for two weeks, you will obviously feel that your body is not so stiff, and it will be much easier to bend down to pick up things and raise your hands to pick up things from high places.