Flexibility Exercises

Flexibility helps prevent injury and assists in muscle recovery. It also improves exercise performance by increasing your range of motion. At one time, fitness experts recommended stretching before and after your workout to reap the benefits of flexibility, but these rules have changed. Exercise professionals now recommend dynamic stretching before your workout to warm up muscles and static stretching at the end of a workout to improve flexibility.

Dynamic Stretching

Studies have shown that static stretching in which you hold position to stretch the muscle offers no benefit before your workout and in fact could lead to reduced performance. But fitness professionals caution against jumping into a workout full force. Instead, they recommend dynamic stretching, which involves movement designed to increase blood flow and reduce muscle tightness, such as stepping side to side, ham curls and heel digs. When performing dynamic stretching, choose sport-specific moves. For example, if you are going to run, high knee marches and walking lunges will loosen thighs, hips and calves. Even if your workout is static stretching to increase flexibility, perform dynamic stretching first to avoid muscle strain or injury.

Static Stretching

Static stretching is no longer recommended before a workout, but is encouraged post-workout to increase flexibility because muscles are warm and loose. Static stretching holds a pose to lengthen muscles. Touching your toes with straight legs is a form of static stretching. When performing static stretches, don't bounce or stretch to the point that you feel pain. While holding the stretch, breath deeply to get oxygen to the muscles. Always stretch opposing muscle groups. For example, if you stretch your hip flexors, also stretch the glutes. Or if you stretch the hamstrings, also stretch your quads.

Post-Exercise Flexibility

End your workout with a series of static stretches that hit all the major muscle groups, particularly in the legs. Stretch the quads by standing and lifting one foot behind you. Grab the foot with your hand and pull it toward your buttocks. Keep your knees together while holding the stretch. If balance is an issue, perform the stretch with the opposite hand on a chair or against the wall. The stretch can be performed lying on your side as well. Next, stretch the hamstrings by extending one heel forward on the floor. Shift the weight to the back leg as you reach down toward the extended foot. Keep your extended leg straight but not hyper-extended. This stretch can be performed sitting in a chair or on the floor in the modified hurdler position with one leg extended and the other bent so that the foot rests against the thigh of the extended leg.

Flexibility Workouts

Many people stretch only during workout warm-ups or cool-downs, but the American Council on Exercise recommends at least 30 minutes of stretching three times a week. An easy way to achieve this is through yoga or Pilates classes. Both increase flexibility and offer additional benefits such as building strength. If you don't have 30 minutes, performing the yoga sun salutation twice stretches the major muscles in the body to increase flexibility.