Added Flexibility Allows You to Stretch Your Workout Success

At Train With Danny, our Los Angeles personal trainer knows that most people believe that burning fat and building and maintaining lean muscle requires sweating and panting to achieve success.

While aerobic activity, high-intensity workouts, and weight training are all great options, flexibility exercises can provide multiple benefits, especially when you are running short on time.

What are the Benefits of Flexibility Training?

Flexibility may come naturally to some, but not everyone is inherently able to stretch to their heart’s desire. The good news is — like strength and endurance — flexibility can increase with training.

The benefits of flexibility training include:

• Greater freedom of movement
• Improved posture
• Releases muscle tension and soreness
• Reduces the risk of injury
• Increases physical and mental relaxation

Flexibility naturally decreases with inactivity, but age plays a key role in its loss. Inherently, the older we get, the less flexible we become. However, there are simple stretching exercises that everyone can do from home to reduce stiffness and tension.

Stretching Helps Increase Flexibility

Like all exercise and training activities, it is important to warm up before you begin stretching to avoid pulling a muscle or suffering another injury.

This can be easily accomplished by walking around your home or yard, and gently swinging your arms in a circular motion. Spend at least five to ten minutes warming up before stretching.

Once you are ready, take a deep breath and slowly exhale as you stretch the arm, leg, or core muscles you are working on to the point of tension.

Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, then relax. Repeat the stretch two to four more times.

When you are stretching, do not:

• Strain or push a muscle too far. If a stretch hurts, ease up.
• Bounce your stretch. Not only is it less effective than holding a stretch, but there is a greater risk of injury when you bounce.
• Hold your breath during the stretch. Continue to breathe normally, and let the stretch come to you.

Once you begin to feel your stretching regimen pay off, you will be ready to move forward with dynamic stretches, which can be learned from classes like Yoga or Tai Chi.

Ready, Stretch, Go!

If you are looking for tailored personal training options in Los Angeles, or from your very own home, office, or on the go, Train With Danny has on-demand and live classes available for all fitness levels.

Download our new app to access workouts offline, track your progress and collect health data, and get an all-access pass to premium features to take control of your training today. Sign up for our fitness plan on the app for just $1 for the first 30 days!

Put the Benefits of Flexibility to Work With Total Body Personal Training

Contact us at Train With Danny to learn more about the transformative benefits of partnering with a personal trainer in Los Angeles, or to talk about your personal fitness goals and to learn how we can help you get there safely and effectively.