• Question: Hello I am very interested in human movement and I would like to know the best way to open up the joints in my body and get flexible?

    Asked by Paddy Symes to Shikha, Kevin, John, Colin on 8 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Kevin Motherway

      Kevin Motherway answered on 8 Nov 2014:

      I think Yoga is the way to go for flexibility. Even soccer hard men like Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs both credit Yoga with prolonging their careers.

      Whatever you try, do it slowly. You don’t want your body to to be found by the emergency services, wearing nothing but a leotard, having starved to death stuck with your ankles behind you ears.

      “Man starved to death: found in impressive pose. Foul play not suspected”

    • Photo: Shikha Sharma

      Shikha Sharma answered on 8 Nov 2014:

      Hi Paddy,

      I am glad to know that at such a young age you are health-conscious. My gym instructor used to say that flexibility is the third pillar of fitness, next to cardiovascular conditioning and strength training. Flexibility is important, both mentally, and physically. Stretching and yoga are two ways to achieve flexibility as they improve your circulation means more blood flow to your muscles. A good circulation will also help you against a number of diseases. Stretching also helps you in releasing lactic acid from the muscle cells into the bloodstream and thus no obstruction to muscle contraction or relaxation.
      To improve your body flexibility, do 10 minutes of easy stretching of muscle groups: upper body (arms, shoulders, neck), back, and lower body (thighs, calves, ankles) in a day after warming up your body. And follow your health instructor instructions 🙂
      But remember the most important thing that you need to be as flexible as your lifestyle dictates. Excessive flexibility in any muscle generally comes at the risk of reduced stability which means higher risk of injury.

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