People always say that it is important to be flexible, and will recommend any number of ways to improve on said flexibility. Stretching, yoga, foam rolling, pilates. All will give the muscles a good stretch and, according to whatever fitness guru you hold most dear, will improve your life drastically in ways you can’t even comprehend. Or something like that, anyway. You’ll be able to touch your toes without bending your knees, at least, and that’s a good start.

Flexibility is one of the fundamental aspects of fitness that is too often overlooked. Not only can increased flexibility keep you from pulling those carefully sculpted muscles, but it can also help you sculpt them even further. Flexibility allows your range of motion to be greater, which in turn can help your weightlifting by allowing you to go deeper into your squat, to bring the bar closer to your chest, or to do a deadlift from the floor.

So what is the best way to gain flexibility? Well, stretching is a good start. And a good finish, actually. All you really need to do is stretch. However, there is a bit of a catch. Unlike how most people were taught in youth sports programs, stretching before a workout is less beneficial than stretching after one. It’s always better to stretch your muscles when they are warm, rather than when they are cold, and you’ll get the most benefit from stretching when they are warm. Yoga hits two birds with one stone in this, by warming you up and stretching you out at the same time. Foam rolling is another good option, but is better for working out specific kinks than generally stretching a muscle.


About the Author

Kisar Dhillon – A Personal Fitness Trainer in Portland, Oregon. Need to get toned, lose weight, lose body fat, and increase lean muscle. If you need fitness trainer in Portland, then Kisar is the one. He is a personal trainer Portland OR with 25 years of experience and has expertise in health & fitness industry.For more information visit us today : http://kisardhillon.com