Body flexibility is the dream of millions of people. Almost everyone wants to be flexible, flexible, strong. They dream of sitting on twines and almost tying themselves into a knot.

But few people think about simple questions:

What is the right way to stretch your muscles?

Which muscles should be pulled and which shouldn't? (Yes, yes. There are muscles whose stretching disturbs the balance of the body and leads to health problems.)

Are they willing to pay the right price for what they want? Are you ready to spend all this heap of time and effort?

How to combine strength training and stretching? And to what extent is it worth stretching so that the results of years of strength training do not suffer?

There are a lot of these questions ...

Timely answers to these questions will help to avoid many, sometimes very annoying mistakes. Some of these mistakes can easily put an end to your sports career and even harm your health. Let's take a look at the most serious ones.

Flexibility development mistake number 1

Waiting for results that are too quick

We often see promises like "twine in a month, twine in 10 workouts, twine in a week." And queries on the Web are generally amusing: "one day cross twine"!

If you are naturally flexible enough, it can take up to two months to get a longitudinal split without losing health or damaging your joints.

Most people find it difficult even to take a starting position to perform the necessary exercises. That is, they have to stretch the muscles just to start stretching the muscles properly!

For an ordinary person, not gifted with natural flexibility, a period of six months is quite realistic to sit on a longitudinal twine. The cross twine may take longer. Moreover, you will need to train at least 4-5 times a week for 30-50 minutes.

Forcing exercises, violation of reasonable requirements, artificial increase in flexibility with the use of excessive loads can result in disability or turn into extremely unpleasant delayed consequences. Especially in old age.

Be patient, it takes time to develop flexibility.

Flexibility development mistake number 2

Stretching the wrong muscles to pull

A very common mistake! How many backs suffered! Stretch exactly the muscles you want to stretch. Avoid pulling the extensors of the back and stretching the hip joints too much, especially if you are doing strength exercises. Overstretched muscles are unable to maintain proper balance and support joints. Especially under stress. Hence the injuries and curvatures.

In no case should you pull your fingers.

Error 3

Stretching not only muscles, but also ligaments

It is the muscles that should be pulled, not the ligaments. Ligaments are strong and almost inextensible joint shells. It is difficult enough to break them, but with due diligence it is possible. As a result, you will have to undergo long-term rehabilitation, or completely forget about training. The knee joints are especially vulnerable. Be sure to follow basic precautions:

bend your knees slightly as you pull your hamstrings

Be clear about why you want to develop flexibility. And what kind of flexibility do you need, where? Are you willing to pay an adequate price for this result in terms of time and significant effort?

Never be too painful during flexibility training. This is a direct path to trauma that will definitely set you back in class for months, or even block your flexibility altogether.

We went to a stretching class to learn how to become flexible and keep joints healthy.

A small cozy hall for choreography classes is located in the old building of the Gorizont plant. The group looks very optimistic before the lesson: the girls calmly communicate and laugh. But after a few minutes they will be in great pain - to which they, in fact, signed up. Why people voluntarily and happily go to torture, their coach and choreographer explained to us Alexandra Oshurko.

- Why are stretching exercises useful?

The first plus is healthy joints. They become more mobile and this improves overall well-being. Stretching exercises can help you recover from bruises or heavy exertion.

Another reason to start developing flexibility is to align and lengthen your spine. A healthy spine will provide a beautiful posture. Elastic ligaments, blood flow into the body will keep the body young, saturate the body with oxygen.

If you have a hard work, constant stress, then stretching is shown to you. Relaxation will lead to harmony with your inner self and help you calm down.

Another indisputable plus, especially for women, is that stretching improves and speeds up metabolism. Stretching can help you lose weight better than any diet.

- Can everyone do stretching or are there any contraindications?

In general, there is no such category of people who cannot be stretched. Only if you have received a serious injury, you should not stretch the damaged ligament for a while, but after a while you will need to start restoring its elasticity. And it can be very painful, but otherwise you will completely lose flexibility and it will be even worse later.

Anyone can stretch, regardless of age or gender. In childhood, the ligaments are very soft and elastic, the joints are easier to twist. Accordingly, it is much easier for a child to sit in a twine. With age, the ligaments become coarser. But, of course, this is also all individual. There are such elastic ligaments from childhood that, as an adult, a person quickly achieves results. Conversely, even a 10-year-old child can be absolutely rigid. But I can say for sure that at any age you can increase your flexibility many times, and it depends not on the data, but on the desire and hard work of the person.

- Stretching is needed only after strength and cardio loads or can it be used as an independent set of exercises?

Good stretching is essential for athletes, dancers, those who work out in the gym and run, but it will never be superfluous for people who do nothing. There are only advantages to stretching. We all strive to look younger, last longer, and feel great. And all this gives you stretching. Why spend money on expensive vitamins and creams when you can devote a little time to exercise and get almost the same result?

- How not to overdo it with stretching so as not to harm the body?

The feeling of pain in the ligaments the next morning after stretching is almost guaranteed. This is an indicator of effective training. When you "stretch", your ligaments stretch, lengthen, and micro tears appear in the muscles. This is how flexibility is achieved.

Therefore, you need to stretch only 3-4 times a week so that the ligaments have time to recover. In the morning after class, you can take a bath, do exercises. But don't stretch too much! Ligaments need rest.

- How to cope with pain during exercise, how is it easier to transfer?

Try to think about what relaxes you, switch your attention to pleasant memories. Imagine how you bask on the beach, how the sea beckons you, remember the pleasant moments when you were relaxing. Then it is much easier to endure the pain than if you only think about what you can no longer endure. Stretching is like running: the more you do, the longer the workout you can handle over time. The more you endure, the sooner you will learn to endure this pain. Perhaps later you will even like it. Train yourself. No other is given.

During the exercise, you need to carefully listen to your body, feel it, so as not to overdo it and not damage yourself. Do not sit up suddenly or bend over when you are not warmed up. There is a feeling of acute pain in the ligaments, like cutting with a knife, which means that you should not make an effort. Just lock in at that height. If you feel dizzy, your leg starts to shake or something “clicked” in it, stop stretching immediately. Take good care of yourself.

Stretching the body is painful, but these sensations are then replaced by joy, lightness and great health. Do not neglect it and you will be in harmony with yourself.

̶ What do you need to consider while doing the exercises?

̶ ̶ Stretching ̶ is the relaxation of muscles, and there is no way without breathing. This is the most important rule! You need to watch your breathing. As you exhale, your ligaments relax, stretch, and you sink lower. When you hold your breath and try to lower yourself, you injure them. The ligaments will hurt twice as much and the results will be much worse.

̶ But what if you still damage the ligaments?

̶- The worst thing is the rupture of the ligaments. In this case, the recovery process is very long. If everything is serious, it is better to see a doctor who will prescribe ointments, dressings, and physiotherapy. In the case of a tear or sprain, recovery is faster. I know a great way to recover from damage. This is a very hot bath. You immerse yourself in water, lie down for about 20 minutes, your ligaments completely relax, warm up. After that, do exercises on the injured leg (very carefully!) And climb into the water again. And so about 3-4 approaches.

I know many gymnasts, acrobats and dancers who, after serious injuries, regained their splits in this way. But just do not try to do this the day after the injury. Give your ligaments time to heal.

- Is it necessary to do stretching with a trainer or can you do the exercises at home?

Light complexes can be performed at home, more complex in the initial stages - it is better under the supervision of a trainer. If you don’t know how to stretch at all, and you don’t feel your body, then you have a direct road to the group. After all, poor-quality exercise performance can not only upset with too long waiting for at least some results, but also harm the body.

If you have already more or less developed flexibility and know what is done and how, then it is never superfluous to work out at home. Take at least 15 minutes a day: stretch your neck, back, make a couple of bends forward, and you will see how much energy your body receives.

̶- Why do you practice exercises in pairs in the classroom, how are they effective?

̶- From classes in pairs, the result appears 2-3 times faster. When you "stretch" yourself, you do not give the maximum load on the ligaments, but your partner helps you with this. But you need to be very careful with each other during classes, tell your partner about whether you can still push or not. He does not feel what is going on inside you.

At first, you need to press as little as possible, and then gradually add your weight and at the end give the maximum load. And so that your partner does not break ligaments and get injured, you must release him slowly and smoothly.

- Do men need stretching?

̶- Men need stretching to avoid being bears. But there is one caveat: if a man wants to gain weight and sways vigorously, then during this period he should perform the lightest exercises possible. The whole result will disappear, and the muscles will stop growing, but, on the contrary, will begin to "deflate". After all, one of the results of stretching exercises - an accelerated metabolism - helps you lose weight.

- Why "pump" muscles at the end of the set of exercises?

̶- Just stretching the muscles is half the battle. You need to learn how to use them, especially for dancers. The pumping at the end is needed in order to preserve the results of achieving the lesson, so that you can not just sit in a split, but also keep your foot on weight, do batman, swing, and use your flexibility in every possible way.

Photo: site .

It turns out that even the masters of enlightenment these days are discussing splits. They, of course, say that we are equally perfect both before and after the split, the split itself does not make us cooler. However, the fact that they are talking about it testifies to the relevance of the twine in our day. Many strive for them, and this path is not easy. Here are the most common mistakes along the way. If you keep them in mind, then you can not only bring the cherished goal closer, avoiding injuries, but also slightly improve your health.

A large number of people, in an attempt to sit on a split, exhaust themselves with unpleasant stretches, injure muscles and ligaments - and all for the sake of one element, which can sometimes be used in dance. Or it may not be used. The ability to raise your legs high and the ability to sit on the splits are different types of flexibility, do not confuse them. This will be the first mistake on our list.

1. If I sit on the twine, I can consider myself flexible.

You can be flexible, but do not sit on the twine. The types of flexibility are different, but the twine is one gymnastic element, an exercise that is neither a panacea nor an indicator of flexibility.

This is an exercise that can be mastered along the way of your development, but remember that this position of the legs is not physiological or natural, it is important to master it competently, and not anyhow.

2. If I want to raise my legs higher - I have to stretch for a split.

Leg swing is a dynamic stretching that requires active work from almost the whole body. If you develop flexibility in yourself with the help of a dynamic movement, you will be good at swinging, the twine has nothing to do with it. Muscle work, hips and core positions differ markedly in these exercises.

Keeping your leg high in the air is an active stretch, it works because some muscles relax and stretch in conjunction with the way the muscles on the opposite side contract. This is a separate type of biomechanical interaction and is associated with deep processes at the level of neural connections.

When we are sitting on the split, this is passive stretching - not the most rewarding way to stretch muscles and one of the more traumatic ones. As the name suggests, muscles are stretched passively by being pressed to the floor under the weight of the body (unless someone else is pressing on you from above).

3. Pull the split on the right leg and on the left.

There is a snag in your attitude because of such a wording of the phrase. The twine is done with two legs, both stretch - both the right and the left, this is its essence. Beginners, on the other hand, often stretch only the front leg, thinking that to split on the right, you need to pull the right. For a split with the right leg in front, it is important to open exactly the left thigh, the action of the leg lying behind is very, very important... Most injuries are due to this error.

If you can sit with your back straight with two straight legs extended forward, then you have enough flexibility to keep your front leg flat on the floor on the split. Stretching requires the leg that you pull back. When stretching on a split, do not do it in a forward bend - pull your back leg, sit up straight. If you are still too high and you can't sit upright at all, continue to do preparatory stretches or use the available means of support - chairs, sofas, yoga blocks, friends, etc.

4. Pull all three splits - right, left and transverse.

Of course, it is important to develop your flexibility in all directions, but the transverse twine is a separate position, although it is called a twine, but this is a different stretch that involves other muscle groups and a different position of the joints, treat it as a separate element and do not interfere with all the twine in one pile. Give each species separate attention and ample time.

5. The amount of time devoted to stretching.

Often, when a hitch after a lesson, the following order is observed: they pulled the right twine, pulled the left one, pulled the transverse one and then pull something else or finish the lesson.

Or here's another: we sit down on the "twine" - more precisely, on a distorted semblance of a twine, if you are not sitting on it yet, set a timer and wait for happiness for five minutes.

Firstly, if you are a beginner, then working with twine is a rather deep preparation of the muscles, it is stupid and useless to treat it superficially.

We will not build abs by lifting our legs once. We will lift them at least eight times, otherwise we will do several approaches and we will do other abdominal exercises, add twists, springs, holdings - in the same place different abdominal muscles are involved, and we want to pump everything.

Likewise with flexibility: stretching once will not make you flexible. It is necessary to do several approaches, stretch in different directions and using different methods. It is important to keep in mind that you are working with a complex of muscles, different muscles on two different legs.

Overexposing a stretch, especially a passive one, is also dangerous. We do not take now certain types of professional stretching, for people who are already flexible and strong and who know their body well and have been working with deep stretching for a long time. We are talking about the beginner's twine. Holding it for several minutes can be effective for some, but in general it is completely unnecessary and traumatic. It is better to do ten sets of 10-20 seconds than one 5-minute set, which can provoke a defensive contraction (stretch reflex) and cool the muscle.

You need to train the way you will use it. If you do not need to sit in a split for a long time in a dance, why practice a five-minute split? Maybe you need to be able to fall into the split quickly, then you will need to work on dynamic stretching, and not sit in one place for a long time.

6. Position of the back leg during the split.

This is not a mistake, but a contradiction that exists in stretching, because in different cases and types of physical activity, the twine is required different. It is not fatal to sit in an imperfect gymnastic twine with an open (turned to the side) hind thigh. Maybe I like to sit that way. There are certain situations when exactly such a split is required - for example, for a split jump with the Dancehall Queen style or other street style. Sometimes in martial arts it is necessary to stretch just such an open split. In addition, if you are just stretching for yourself, even such an open split is already pretty cool.

At the same time, it is believed that it would be good to do the split evenly - with the hips located on the line of the perpendicular line of the legs. To do this, it is important to pay attention to how the hind leg lies. After all, as a rule, it is not possible to put it exactly because of muscle clamps in the back - a hardened one, which suffers from our constant sitting position in most situations.

We, as a rule, stretch out for a twine “just to sit down,” but it doesn't matter how and at what cost. We twist wherever we have to, without thinking about what kind of twine we need and how to position the back leg. Moreover, she is not visible, why think about her! I generally recommend laying it flat, knee down. However, as I said, splits are not a natural position for our hips. Naturally, they open up well in a diagonal and not perfectly even, so the main thing here is to have an understanding of how the hips work, which muscles are underperforming, what is the purpose of the twine and how you feel in it.

7. Twine is a stretch for the legs.

The split is not a stretch at all, it is an exercise that requires complex flexibility, stretching different parts of the body in different directions. It is deflection and tilt at the same time. This requires not only stretched muscles in the legs, but also the muscles of the press and back, and of course the pelvic girdle.

Based on this, when preparing for the split with the help of other exercises, it is important to warm up and stretch not only the legs.

8. The twine is good because it stretches the legs more.

Unlike point 7, where we discussed the fact that the split stretches not only the legs, here we are talking about the effectiveness of the split as a method of stretching.

When we stretch, our body resists unnatural positions in order to protect muscles, blood vessels, ligaments and even skin from stress that can damage them. When we only pull one leg, we are dealing with only one muscle group, and the resistance will be much less, which means that the stretch can be done much more efficiently. The twine is not so effective in this case.

In some styles of movement, the twine is necessary as a basic element, for example, for those who are engaged in pole dance, it is important for performing many other elements. But even if you desperately need this twine, you should not neglect other stretching elements.

9. Splits are the purpose of the stretch.

In general, in order to sit comfortably on the twine, you need to be stretched into a twine with over-extension, that is, with your legs open more than 180 degrees. This makes you think that you need to strive not for twine, but for joint openness and healthy, coordinated muscle work, allowing you to do more than just twine.

Do not strive to sit on the twine, strive to develop, and do not limit yourself to the twine. If you are already firmly determined to develop your flexibility, then strive for more, when the twine is just around the corner, remind yourself that for a good twine you need a “twine with a minus” - there is nothing prohibitive in this.

This is not a mistake at all, of course, but an internal limitation, and the presence of psychological blocks hinders the development of flexibility.

10. The twine should be pulled while sitting on the floor.

There are many alternatives, and they are all twine. The version with sitting on the floor is the most passive and traumatic, because if you are overtaken by the stretch reflex, you will not have time to get out of the split quickly enough and damage the muscle: it will begin to contract, and the leg is still lying on the floor under the weight of the body, unable to bend.

In addition, if you have had such an injury, then repeated attempts to stretch for the splits while sitting on the floor will cause even more muscle resistance, because they already “remember” that it was this position that contributed to the injury.

The split can be pulled while lying against the wall, then there is no pressure on the muscles, and this is a better option for those who have had injuries.

The twine can be vertical, so it is convenient to pull it while standing against a wall or in a doorway. This stretching is more effective and less traumatic, since it requires the activation of the antagonist muscles, and their work forces the stretched muscles to relax.

If you seriously set out to sit on the splits, do not forget that our body requires balanced work and you need to pull everything, not just the legs and hips. Stretching only for twine is like eating only porridge. The result will of course be, but for a healthy body, variety and completeness are important both in nutrition and in exercise. And do not forget - even if this twine is not given to you, you are still perfect, ask any enlightened master!

A beautiful body should not only be fit, but also flexible. Therefore, after exercising, you should always do stretching exercises. Thanks to them, blood circulation and well-being will improve, as well as muscle strength and elasticity of the ligaments will be preserved.

What is stretching? Stretching types

The key to stretching is flexibility. There are two kinds of flexibility - static and dynamic.

Static flexibility is the ability of the body to bend and unbend joints in full amplitude. The muscles should be slowly stretched and held in this position for about 20-30 seconds.

Dynamic flexibility, in turn, is related to the rate of extension and flexion of joints and muscles. An example is small, sharp lunges of arms and legs.

There is also a ballistic stretch. These are sharp, quick lunges of the limbs, but it belongs to questionable ways of stretching.

With passive stretching, the muscles are exposed to an external factor, for example, a trainer. Muscles are slowly and actively stretched and contracted with active movements at an increasing pace.

Active stretching involves stretching the muscles and holding them with the muscles that are stretched in the opposite direction. For example, when stretching the quadriceps, the foot needs to be pulled up to the buttocks and held with the hip biceps.

There is also neuromuscular support, which combines a passive type of stretching and isomeric muscle contractions, that is, the principle of contraction-relaxation.

Isolated stretching is a versatile stretch that is suitable for warming up muscles before and after a workout. It stretches individual muscles, which helps prepare the body for stress and reduces the likelihood of injury by improving blood circulation and muscle elasticity.

Should I do gymnastics or exercises before stretching, and which ones?

Warming up before stretching is imperative, as untrained muscles are most at risk of rupture, and overall muscle elasticity and performance improve.

Warming up the muscles must necessarily start from the top. Muscles of the neck, shoulders, forearms, back, stretch with hands or with the help of passive stretching. You can also run, jump, squats are very effective. Bends in a standing position forward, sideways, all this must be done so that the body is prepared for stretching. Hand swings and push-ups should also be included in the warm-up program. Slow squats, with a break of 10 minutes and repetition of several times are required.

All exercises should be gradually increased and must be performed slowly.

Now let's move on to stretching exercises.

A set of stretching exercises at home

Here is an effective set of stretching exercises that you can do yourself at home.

1. Face the wall. Resting your palms against the wall at shoulder level, lean forward. The back is straight, the heels do not come off the floor. Bend your elbows slowly until your forehead touches the wall. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Repeat a few more times.
2. Feet shoulder width apart, arms raised up. Start reaching up without lifting your heels off the floor. Stay in the most extended position. Then lean forward, trying to touch your toes with your toes. Hold the position for 10 seconds. Repeat 3-5 more times.
3. Lie on your back with your arms extended along your torso. Bring your knees to your chest and grab them. Your lower back will be slightly off the floor. Swing back and forth.
4. Lie on your back and raise your arms up. Lowering them alternately, try to reach with each hand to the opposite thigh.
5. Lie on your back with your arms extended along your torso. Turn the head to the left until it stops, Turn the head to the left until it stops, overcoming muscle resistance. Do it the other way.
6. In a standing position, bend your left leg at the knee, grab the knee with both hands and pull it towards your chest. Hold the position for 20 seconds. Repeat with the right leg.
7. In a standing position, put your left leg back. Try to keep your feet flat on the floor and not bend your knees. Do an exercise for your right leg.
8. In a standing position, lean your right hand against the wall. With your left hand, press your left heel against your left buttock. Stand in this position for 30 seconds. Do the same with the other leg.
9. In a standing position, bend your arm behind your back and try to push it up between your shoulder blades. Hold the position for a few seconds. Do the same with the other hand.
10. In a standing position, bend your right arm at the elbow, as in the previous exercise, and bend your left arm over your head and take it behind the back of the head. Connect your hands and hold the position for 30 seconds. Then swap your hands.

During the exercises, the muscles should be stretched smoothly, avoiding sudden movements and jerks. You should hold in the position of maximum extension for about 30 seconds. We also advise you to look at the qigong healing technique.

A set of stretching exercises for the whole body - photo

We offer you another set of stretching exercises in the photo.

Stretching exercises - video

Here are some stretching exercise videos to help you practice at home.

The first is stretching exercises for beginners.

And another very good video is stretching or stretching exercises.

Muscles ache after stretching - is it normal and what to do?

Muscle pain after stretching is normal, unless it is too severe. After exercising, the muscles need to recover, and the body, thus, provides itself with protection from further stress. To prevent this, you need to warm up properly before stretching.

You should not immediately overextend your muscles if you feel pain or shoot somewhere, it is better to take a break and rest for a few minutes.

Cooling down in class is another way to avoid pain. Stretch on your toes, on the floor or on the wall, and drink more fluids each workout.

You can also relieve pain with massage or special gels, as well as take a warm bath or swim. Keep your muscles warm after stretching. It is easier to tear off a cold muscle than a hot one.

Know your limit, and when you feel that you can no longer, it is better to stop. Because if the injury is severe, it will take longer to recover than to relieve the pain.

Pay attention to the symmetry of your limbs to help prevent the risk of disproportionate muscle pain.

It is better to stretch for a long time, so the muscles will have time to adjust to the rhythm of training.

If the pain continues for more than six days, you need to see a doctor, as it may be an injury.

Aerobic activities can help relieve pain and improve muscle condition.

Today, any self-respecting fitness club has a workout aimed at stretching and improving the flexibility and mobility of the joints. These workouts can be called bodystretch, spinestretch, flex back workout, flexibar workout, etc. All of these workouts differ from each other by the muscle or joint group on which the emphasis is placed, or by the use of additional equipment. But the essence of stretching is always the same.

Stretching(from English Stretching - stretching, stretching) is a kind of health-improving gymnastics, which has a health-improving effect on the musculoskeletal system (hereinafter ODA) and connective tissue formations (hereinafter STO), which ensure its functioning. And those who regularly practice stretching are noted for a beautiful posture, good health, excellent flexibility and the ability to easily sit on the twine. In this article we will try to give answers to the questions - what is stretching workout, and how is stretching useful?

As mentioned above, stretching training has an effect on the body's SRT, which includes muscles, their membranes, ligaments, tendons, fascia and joint capsules that form the joint. In most cases, it is they who determine the flexibility of a person.

STOs consist of collagen and elastin fibers, which are similar in composition - they consist of bundles of fibers that are tightly glued together by hydrogen bonds. With age, the chemical composition changes - fluid is lost, calcification increases, and the number of hydrogen bonds increases. As a result, joints and muscles become more and more stiff and the body loses flexibility.

However, with regular stretching, the quality of collagen and elastin improves, which allows the normal functioning of the ODA even in adulthood to be maintained.

Why does stretching hurt?

The stretching process is necessarily accompanied by painful sensations that arise due to reflex muscle contraction. When the muscles begin to stretch, the muscle fiber reflexes send a signal to the brain, which in turn signals the muscle to contract. It is, in fact, an instinct for self-preservation.

To weaken the painful sensations, it is necessary to excite other reflexes, for example, reciprocal inhibition - this is when the excitation of one group of nerve cells provides inhibition of another group. In this case, we are talking about muscle agonists and antagonists. Tensioning the opposite muscle group will help reduce reflex contraction.

Note

Agonists are muscles, due to which a certain movement is made (contracting muscle).

Antagonists - perform the opposite action of the agonist, i.e. relax.

For example, when the elbow is flexed, the biceps (agonist) contract, the triceps (antagonist) relaxes.

Examples of weakening of reflex muscle contraction, i.e. reducing pain:

• retention of the stretched muscle for a long time;
• while stretching, strain the antagonist muscles;
• in a stretched position, alternately strain and relax the muscles;
• slight vibration during stretching;
• voluntary efforts to relax the stretched muscle.

How does stretching affect flexibility?

Muscle fiber is composed of sarcomeres. During stretching, their number increases, due to which the muscle fiber becomes longer. In addition, the stretching process affects collagen - the process of degradation of proteins is accelerated (this process is necessary for the synthesis of new proteins), the synthesizing processes are accelerated. As a result, the circulation of protein increases, the number of hydrogen bonds decreases, the degree of "stickiness" of fibers decreases, the elasticity of collagen increases, the amount of mineral inclusions (calcium) decreases, and the content of moisturizers increases.

Thus, the overall elasticity and extensibility of all connective tissue formations increases.

How is stretching useful?

Beneficial stretching exercises have immediate and delayed effects. Urgent effects, i.e. the effects that can be achieved immediately after training include the following:

• an increase in the tone of the subcortical formations in the brain, which causes a complex of reactions in the body (these reactions are similar to those that occur after massage or dynamic training);
• activates metabolism (metabolism) in stretched muscles and connective tissue, due to irritation of nerve endings;
• stretching affects protein synthesis, RNA synthesis, DNA repair (restoration);
• intense stretching or stretching, accompanied by painful sensations, induces a hormonal response that promotes the mobilization of fat depots;
• improves coordination skills.

Delayed effects, i.e. The effects that can be achieved over time with regular exercise include the following:

• improved flexibility;
• removal of muscle clamps (tension);
• removal or reduction of pain after an injury (during the rehabilitation period);
• reduction of pain during menstruation;
• prevention of hypokinesia in the elderly (hypokinesia - insufficient physical activity, muscle atrophy);
• normalization of body composition and weight (weight loss).

Thus, we can name a lot of factors than beneficial stretching for the human body. And the main advantages of such gymnastics are:

• Less risk of injury during sports and in everyday life.
• Excellent flexibility, which will allow you to engage in various types of physical activity (including strength) and at the same time keep your spine intact.
• Complete recovery and relaxation, as well as release of tension from the body after stressful situations.
• Improved coordination of movements and orientation in space.
• Improved blood circulation and reduced likelihood of heart disease.
• Improvement and rejuvenation of the body.
• Beautiful figure and posture.

For women in an "interesting position" it is also important to know if stretching is possible while carrying a child. It should be noted that pregnancy for stretching is the most optimal sport. However, it must be borne in mind that not all stretching positions are acceptable for girls in position. Therefore, before starting to practice stretching, it is worth asking about the nuances of such gymnastics.

We will talk about what factors limit flexibility and stretching in the following articles.