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Flexibility Stretching
There are a few types of flexibility stretching that you can use to increase your range of motion.
Three of the more common types are isometric, passive and dynamic flexibility stretching methods.
The isometric flexibility stretching is done when the individual first presses against some resistance, thus causing the muscles to contract, and then the resistance is relaxed and the muscle is then stretched. Since you are going from a contracted state to a relaxed state, after some gentle pushing you will find that the muscle is able to go further than it had originally.
It is best to repeat this process of pushing and relaxing a total of three times to see full benefits.
Generally the best exercise for this is a hamstring stretch where you start by lying on the ground with one leg at 90 degrees and then your partner stretches it further towards your head, holds it, and then you relax.
The passive method is the method that is most normally seen in the gym and is where you assume a basic position and pull the muscle until you feel a small amount of tension. These exercises are normally held for a period of 30-60 seconds. Note that you should never feel intense pain while you are performing a stretch and if you do you are pushing too hard.
Finally, the dynamic method involves moving the body part through a range of motion in a controlled fashion. It should never be a jerky movement however as this will increase the chance of injury. An example of this would be leg or arm swings or torso twisting.
There should never be any reason why you should not include this type of exercise in your workout. You only need to dedicate about 10 minutes at the end to see noticeable improvements. Keep in mind that it is best to do this on a continual daily basis, as the results you see can be quickly lost. Try and incorporate a variety of methods in your workout to add more variability and keep interest levels high.
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