Martial Arts Stretching
Martial Arts Stretching - Factors of Flexibility
Many factors contribute to the flexibility of a particular individual. Flexibility varies greatly from person to person and even from joint to joint within an individual. Knowing the general propensity for flexibility can allow a martial arts stretching program to closer address the needs of the athlete and help achieve better results.
Some of the primary factors to consider are age, gender, experience, lifestyle, diet and genetic potential. We will discuss each of these factors and their general effects on flexibility.
Age and Flexibility
Children from the ages of two to five typically exhibit the highest level of natural flexibility. This is reduced a bit each year until the ages of seventeen to twenty where the yearly reduction in flexibility slows greatly. The average measure of flexibility has a tendency to lessen through the adult years and from the ages of fifty onward it decreases at a greater rate. The lessening of typical flexibility as one ages is partly due to the effects of aging on body tissues but mostly due to lessening of activity. A good martial arts stretching program can effectively increase and maintain flexibility throughout one's entire lifetime.
Gender and Flexibility
Females tend to have a greater natural flexibility in the hips and elbows than their male counterparts. The remainder of the joints tend to be of equal flexibility in men and women.
Experience
It should be obvious that an individual who has been practicing a rigorous program of flexibility stretches will on average be much more flexible than someone who does not practice a stretching regimen.
Lifestyle
A person who enjoys an active lifestyle will on the average be much more flexible than their sedentary counterpart. Again this should be obvious.
Diet
One of the many beneficial effects a healthy diet will have on the body is increased flexibility. Diets rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and rich in antioxidants lend themselves to healthier joint function and easier range of joint movements. Diets rich in low-fat proteins and vegetables allow for faster recovery of tissues stressed by exercise and help speed up the benefits of an aggressive martial arts stretching program.
Genetic Potential
Genetics play a major role in the potential for flexibility, both from person to person and regarding the range of motion of different limbs and body parts within each individual. Some people have genetic structural limitations which limit the natural inclination for flexibility. An examples of this would be heavy and thick hip and thigh bones which would make performing motions requiring extreme flexibility of the legs harder to achieve. And there are also genetic malformations such as scoliosis which can inhibit natural flexibility.
Armed with the knowledge of the particular advantageous and disadvantageous factors to flexibility can help a martial artist better design a stretching routine to take advantage of positive factors and overcome limiting factors. An honest evaluation of diet and activity level may dictate changes to reach your goals of flexibility and proficiency in your art or sport.
I invite you to use learn more about these methods to increase the benefit of your stretching routine
And I also invite you to visit www.MartialArtsStretching.com to complete your knowledge of the martial arts stretching methods, routines and applications needed to rapidly increase your flexibility using modern scientific principles.
Some of the primary factors to consider are age, gender, experience, lifestyle, diet and genetic potential. We will discuss each of these factors and their general effects on flexibility.
Age and Flexibility
Children from the ages of two to five typically exhibit the highest level of natural flexibility. This is reduced a bit each year until the ages of seventeen to twenty where the yearly reduction in flexibility slows greatly. The average measure of flexibility has a tendency to lessen through the adult years and from the ages of fifty onward it decreases at a greater rate. The lessening of typical flexibility as one ages is partly due to the effects of aging on body tissues but mostly due to lessening of activity. A good martial arts stretching program can effectively increase and maintain flexibility throughout one's entire lifetime.
Gender and Flexibility
Females tend to have a greater natural flexibility in the hips and elbows than their male counterparts. The remainder of the joints tend to be of equal flexibility in men and women.
Experience
It should be obvious that an individual who has been practicing a rigorous program of flexibility stretches will on average be much more flexible than someone who does not practice a stretching regimen.
Lifestyle
A person who enjoys an active lifestyle will on the average be much more flexible than their sedentary counterpart. Again this should be obvious.
Diet
One of the many beneficial effects a healthy diet will have on the body is increased flexibility. Diets rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and rich in antioxidants lend themselves to healthier joint function and easier range of joint movements. Diets rich in low-fat proteins and vegetables allow for faster recovery of tissues stressed by exercise and help speed up the benefits of an aggressive martial arts stretching program.
Genetic Potential
Genetics play a major role in the potential for flexibility, both from person to person and regarding the range of motion of different limbs and body parts within each individual. Some people have genetic structural limitations which limit the natural inclination for flexibility. An examples of this would be heavy and thick hip and thigh bones which would make performing motions requiring extreme flexibility of the legs harder to achieve. And there are also genetic malformations such as scoliosis which can inhibit natural flexibility.
Armed with the knowledge of the particular advantageous and disadvantageous factors to flexibility can help a martial artist better design a stretching routine to take advantage of positive factors and overcome limiting factors. An honest evaluation of diet and activity level may dictate changes to reach your goals of flexibility and proficiency in your art or sport.
I invite you to use learn more about these methods to increase the benefit of your stretching routine
And I also invite you to visit www.MartialArtsStretching.com to complete your knowledge of the martial arts stretching methods, routines and applications needed to rapidly increase your flexibility using modern scientific principles.
