How to Improve Your Flexibility
By Sara Butler
Many people think that strong muscles are the most important aspect of health, but the truth is that while strength is a vital component to your overall health, muscle flexibility is just as important. If you want to keep your spine and your body healthy, then you need to ensure your muscles are flexible too. Here are a few things you need to know about flexibility and how to accomplish it.
The Different Types of Muscle
Your muscles make up a huge part of your body. Almost half of your body weight is due to all the muscles that work so hard in your body to do various things. There are different types of muscles in your body that work together to keep you healthy and all have an important role to play. These include:
- Smooth muscle - Smooth muscles are the type of muscles that makes up part of your internal organs, such as the uterus and bladder. It's a type of involuntary muscle, which means that it works on its own without you being conscious of it.
- Cardiac - Of course, you know your heart is a muscle, a special muscle that contracts and relaxes as the heart beats
- Skeletal - These are the muscles most people think of when they think of muscles. Your body has more than 600 skeletal muscles, which work in unison with your joints and bones to move you around.
The Importance of Flexibility
When you see the chiropractors at The Joint, they focus on identifying and removing joint dysfunctions. Sometimes these dysfunctions can be the result of some muscles not being flexible enough. Plus, not having flexibility increases your risk of injury.
How to Improve Flexibility
Increasing your flexibility is easy. If you can incorporate some simple things into your day, you'll improve your flexibility in no time:
- Yoga - Easy yoga poses can help to stretch and lengthen your muscles. It's an effective and safe way to stretch right at home.
- Foam rolling - Get a foam roller and use it before and after working out. The great thing about foam rollers is that they allow you to target specific muscles.
- Simple stretching - Warm up your muscles before a workout to help get those muscles ready and stretch them out to reduce injury
If you need help learning the best way to do these things, then talk to the chiropractors at The Joint.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Las Vegas, Nev.