Most workouts nowadays focus so much on strength, endurance and weight loss , hardly giving importance to improving one’s flexibility. Many don’t know that flexibility exercises bring a host of benefits to the body that can help improve workouts and even everyday activities. Courtesy of E-Sports International, here are some of the benefits anyone can get with allotting 15 to 30 minutes day to flexibility exercises.

 1. It decreases the risk of injury

Improving your body’s range of motion trains your muscles and strengthens your joints, decreasing the chances of strains, sprains and even muscle aches. This is especially helpful for exercise enthusiasts whose bodies repeatedly go through strenuous movements. With flexibility exercises, you’ll feel less tired and sore the day after.

 2. It increases your blood flow

Stretching expands your blood vessels, allowing your blood to flow faster and travel throughout your entire system at a quicker pace. This, in turn, increases the amount of oxygen in your body, giving you more energy and more stamina.

 3. It reduces lower back pain

Sitting at your desk for extended periods of time can cause contractions in your muscles. This accumulated stress eventually leads to chronic pain. Flexibility exercises improve muscle tone. The right flexibility exercises can significantly reduce the stress and pressure that accumulates in your lower back.

 4. It improves posture and overall balance

Practicing extended stretches, like yoga poses, help improve stability and improve muscle tone. It also improves your overall posture, which gives you better balance and reduces the incidence of back, shoulder, hip and knee pain.

 5. It also improves mental health

Flexibility exercises deliver the same benefits as yoga and tai chi. By relaxing the muscles through repeated stretching, you also soothe and calm your mind. With daily practice, you’ll have a wonderful feeling of well-being and a stronger mind-body connection.

Flexibility exercises can be done in a variety of ways and can be performed in any setting. The best way to go about this excellent workout routine is to use state-of-the-art gym equipment, such as Technogym’s very own Kinesis One standalone system. This revolutionary tool lets users explore an infinite range of natural movements and exercises, optimizing your muscles and your entire body, improving your flexibility tenfold. The Kinesis One is available in a number of premiere gyms around Metro Manila.

Include flexibility in your workouts today and experience the benefits immediately. Stay tuned to E-Sports for more fitness guides and wellness tips!

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Photo Credits

Photo 1 and 3 from Technogym

Photo 2 by Nicholas A. Tonelli via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.