Though often neglected, flexibility is one of the most important components of health-related fitness. Several factors influence flexibility, including age, gender, and level and type of physical activity. Youngsters are more flexible than adults because tendons lose their elasticity with age. However, in activity may playa greater role than the aging process in the loss of flexibility because muscles and other soft tissues lose elasticity when not used. Active individuals are usually more flexible than sedentary people. Women tend to be more flexible than men because the hormones that permit women’s tissue to stretch during the childbirth process facilitate all body stretching. The range of motion for most movements begins to decline in the mid twenties for men and at approximately 30 years of age for women.
Inflexible muscles around the joints limit range of movement, eventually inhibiting activities of daily life. This is most frequently seen in older people who have difficulty reaching down to tie their shoes or bending over to get a drink of water from a fountain. Lack of flexibility in the shoulders can affect performance of normal duties, such as reaching overhead to change a light bulb or remove a can from a cupboard. Tight muscles may also contribute to joint deterioration by subjecting the bones to excessive pressure, causing pain and abnormalities in joint lubrication. Regular flexibility exercises can improve body posture. Flexibility exercises following aerobic activity reduces muscle soreness.
Maintenance of flexibility is most important for the prevention of low back pain. For example, a sedentary lifestyle characterized by sitting for long periods leads to a loss of flexibility and increases the likelihood of low back injury. Flexibility of the hamstring muscles (a group of muscles in the back of the thighs) and the low back muscles, along with abdominal strength, good posture, and normal body weight, are essential for a healthy back.
Tags:abdominal strength, aerobic activity, back muscles, body posture, flexibility exercises, health related fitness, muscle soreness, tight muscles Wellness and Fitness