Flexibility training for beginners

For those who have just started to practice flexibility with zero foundation, the most reliable plan is not the "7-day one-horse tutorial" that is popular all over the Internet, and there is no need to force yourself to compare with dancers: do it 3-4 days a week, spend 20-30 minutes each time, and give priority to training the hips, shoulders, back, and thighs. For the three core areas of the hamstrings on the back of the legs, stop every time you stretch to the point where there is an obvious stretch but no sharp pain. If you persist for 1-2 months, you will be able to clearly feel that the back pain after sitting for a long time and the shoulder pain after carrying things are greatly relieved, and the flexibility of daily movements will be very intuitively improved.

When I was coaching newcomers at the gym, I met too many novices who pressed their legs hard when they first started. The one that impressed me most was a young girl who had just finished her college entrance examination last summer. In order to take a travel photo of a horse on the seaside, she followed the tutorial and pressed her hamstring for 40 minutes a day. On the third day, she strained her hamstring. She had to use crutches for a week, and her travel plan was completely ruined. It was really not worth it.

The current opinions on flexibility training are actually very complicated. The logic of different systems is completely different. There is no absolute right or wrong, only whether it is suitable for novices. For example, old-school static stretching is the kind you do before the physical test when you go to school. You stretch to the sore position and stop it, and hold it for 30 to 60 seconds. This is actually especially suitable for novices. Oh, yes, be careful not to hold your breath. Many people hold their breath until their faces turn red when stretching, which makes their muscles even tighter. Just breathe normally and evenly.

Many people in the fitness circle now particularly recommend dynamic stretching, which involves walking with lunges, circling arms, and swinging legs left and right. This is true, but it is more suitable for you to warm up before running or lifting irons. If you take time to practice flexibility, the depth of stimulation of dynamic stretching is actually not enough. Don’t listen to people who say that static stretching is useless and throw it away completely. Just use it according to the scene.

There is also PNF stretching that has become popular in recent years. The popular saying is "first resist and then relax." For example, when you pull the front of your thigh, first resist the person pressing you for 5 seconds, then relax and press down. The progress will be twice as fast as pure static stretching. But novices should not try it at home. Last month, there was a guy in the gym who practiced PNF shoulder pressing in front of the door. He did not control the intensity and flashed his rotator cuff. After half a month, he could not even lift a bowl. This is safe only if it is led by a professional.

Oh, by the way, many people ask "How soon can I do the splits?" There is really no standard answer to this. Previous exercise physiology studies have shown that almost half of the human body's tendon elasticity and joint mobility are innate. I have seen people who are born soft A little girl can do squats after three weeks of practice. I have also seen boys with naturally tight hips who can barely touch their toes after practicing seated forward bends for more than half a year. There is really no need to compare your progress with others. As long as you bend down to tie your shoelaces more easily than you did last month, you have already made money.

In fact, you don’t have to buy a yoga mat and go to the gym to practice. You can do it when you are fishing at work. Sit at your work station, put one leg on top of the other, and lean your upper body slightly forward 15 degrees to stretch the deep muscles of the hip. Change sides every 30 seconds, which is shorter than the time it takes you to watch two short videos. You won’t have hip pain after sitting for a whole day. When I usually watch TV dramas at home, I can just lean on the sofa and put one leg on the armrest to stretch my hamstring muscles. There is no need to devote a whole period of time.

Some people struggle with whether or not to practice every day. Different coaches have different opinions. Some say that daily stimulation will make progress faster, while others say that tendons need rest to avoid strain. In fact, novices don’t have to worry about this at all. You won’t feel any soreness the next day after practicing, and it’s no problem to pull up for 10 minutes every day. If you are so sore after training that it is difficult to walk, just rest for two days and wait until the soreness has passed before practicing again. Your own physical feeling will be more accurate than any Internet celebrity tutorial.

To be honest, when practicing flexibility, many people start with beautiful movements like a horse and lowering the waist. Only later in practice do they realize that the real benefits are in daily life: after squatting for a long time, your legs will not go numb when you stand up. You don’t need to put your feet on the top of the wardrobe, and your shoulders will not be sore after holding your baby for two hours. Compared with those standard movements that are posted on social media, the core purpose is to be comfortable.