The Importance of Including Flexibility Training in Your Routine--a summary - Essay Example

The Importance of Including Flexibility Training in Your Routine--a summary When speaking of flexibility, what usually comes to mind are the ballet dancers and gymnasts all performing their seemingly excruciating body movement. What others usually foresee is the importance of flexibility in their own daily activities or unconscious impulses to prevent accidents. In an article from the Seton Healthcare Network, flexibility is defined as “the ability to move your joints and muscles through their full range of motion” (par. 4). As people grow old, they are also deprived of flexibility in their bodies, more specifically in their joints.

Knowing this, it is imperative that as early as one can begin, flexibility exercise should be included in their daily routines. Inclusion of flexibility in one’s personal routines is important if he should desire of a healthy physical state. Since humans are generally “creatures of habit” (par. 1), incorporating flexibility on a daily basis would minimize the difficulties of executing exercises. However, other components of physical fitness are equally important with flexibility. The benefits of flexibility include “reduce the risk of injury, decrease aches and pains, easier body movement, and improvement of balance” (par. 4). A simple stretching or basic yoga, tai chi or pilates can improve one’s level of flexibility.

Flexibility holds a definite significance in the field of sports. An athlete should be physically flexible for a desirable game outcome and at the same time preventing cramps and possibly, temporary paralysis which is caused by an extreme muscle activity. In achieving full flexibility, exercises which require the whole body to move is preferred rather than exercises which concentrate on a single area of the body. For example, swimming can improve flexibility than discuss throw (par. 5). Exercises such as stretching would make the muscles extend to its full length (absolute flexibility) while exercises concerning joint muscles would promote balance (relative flexibility).

Flexibility is just one of the five components of physical fitness. A perfect blend of all these components, accompanied by proper diet and lifestyle, is the key to achieve good health. It is not necessary to be in an aerobics class, and a well-rounded fitness routine which lets the person improve all five domains of fitness is necessary. Insights In the middle of a busy working schedule, it is almost impossible to find time in engaging oneself in proper exercise, say, enrolling to a fitness gym nearby.

However, good health is still a desired state of the physical and emotional aspect, regardless if one makes an effort of achieving it or not. Proper diet and regular exercise is the formula of total body fitness, and of all the forms of weight loss and fitness activities, exercise has been a famous form of achieving toned muscles. In exercise, flexibility contributes to the body’s performance in executing different exercise routines. In the article, it mentions about “humans as creatures of habit,” which I believe is true.

For people who are amateurs in exercise, flexibility can discourage them in pursuing the routines, but a gradual and repetitive performance of stretching and flexibility exercises would make them improve. Work Cited “The Importance of Including Flexibility Training In Your Routine.” GoodHealth.com. Seton Healthcare Network, 22 Aug. 2008. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. .