New research shows how long, hard and often you need to stretch to improve your flexibility

Can you reach out and touch your toes without bending your knees? Can you stretch your arms above your head? If these seem difficult, you may lack flexibility.

Flexibility is the ability to move your joints. Full range of motion. it will help you do most sports activities and may prevent muscle damage. Additionally, most activities of daily living require some degree of flexibility (such as bending or twisting). maintain functional independence As you get older.

There are many types, stretchStatic stretching is most common. This involves positioning your joints to stretch your muscles and holding them still for a set amount of time (usually 15 to 60 seconds). An example is to stand in front of a chair, place one foot on the chair, and stretch your knees to stretch your hamstrings.

Static stretching is widely used to improve flexibility. However, there are no clear recommendations regarding the optimal amount required. our new research You’ve looked into how long, how hard, and how often you need to stretch to improve your flexibility, but it’s probably less than you expected.

Evaluation of data

Last year, our research team collected data from hundreds of studies involving thousands of adults around the world. We reviewed 189 studies involving more than 6,500 adults.

the study compared The effect of a single session or multiple sessions of static stretching on one or more flexibility outcomes compared to those who did not stretch.

how long?

I’ve found that it’s best to stretch for about 4 minutes (cumulatively) per session to immediately improve flexibility. No further improvement will be seen if this continues.

It appears that to permanently improve flexibility, muscles need to be stretched for longer periods of time. About 10 minutes a week for maximum improvement. However, this does not have to be done all at once.

How hard is it?

Stretching can be considered difficult if it causes pain, and easy if it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable.

The good news is that the strength of the stretch doesn’t seem to matter. Both hard stretches (stretching to the point of discomfort or pain) and easy stretches (stretching below the level of discomfort) can improve flexibility as well.

how often?

If you want to improve your flexibility, it doesn’t matter how often you stretch each week. The key is to aim for up to 10 minutes per week for each muscle you stretch.

For example, you can stretch each muscle for just over a minute a day, or for 5 minutes twice a week.

The amount of time you spend stretching ultimately depends on how many muscles you need to stretch. People with less flexibility may need to spend more time stretching because they have more “stiff” muscles to stretch than people who are more flexible.

Can everyone improve their flexibility?

The good news is that everyone can improve their flexibility, regardless of the muscles they stretch, their age, gender, or whether they’re a couch potato or an elite athlete.

Static stretching can be done anytime and anywhere. And no equipment required. Stretching while watching your favorite TV show, at the office, or after walking the dog can help you relax. A great way to start and end your day.

The exact stretches you need will depend on which muscles are “tight,” but some very common stretches include:

• Place one foot on the bench and lean forward at your hips, keeping your knees straight to stretch your hamstrings.
• Bend your knees and place your ankles against your hips to stretch your quads.
• Reach out with one arm while bending the elbow stretch your triceps muscle.

However, the best advice is to visit a qualified medical professional such as a physical therapist or exercise physiologist. A professional can perform an evaluation and prescribe a list of stretches tailored to your individual needs.

As you can see, increasing flexibility is not that difficult.