How To Build Suppleness
in Fitness, Health Guide, Muscles, Suppleness @ 6:15 am by Healthy Body Healthy MindWhat is suppleness?
The ability to achieve a full range of movements “to turn, stretch, twist and bend” without any stiffness, aching or suffering a spine or joint injury is defined as suppleness. It is also known as flexibility.
What about it?
Suppleness or flexibility is an important part of your everyday life. Being supple means that you can reach up to take an item down from a bookshelf, for example, or bend down to tie your shoe laces, without feeling that your movements are restricted in any way. When you are young, you tend to take suppleness for granted. But as and when you start growing older, you need to spend a bit of time enhancing and maintaining your suppleness.
Anyone can start a daily routine of simple stretches at any age to restore or increase that flexibility to your muscles as well as joints. Some studies show that you are never too old to reverse the reduced level of suppleness that comes with the age. It really doesn’t matter as to how long it has been building up.
So how is suppleness achieved?
Suppleness is achieved by regular stretching of the muscles either by carrying out specific exercises or by actively participating in activities that take the joints through their full range of movement. Muscles are wrapped in connective tissues, which, rather like chewing gum, are resistant to being stretched when cold. For this specific reason, it is very important to attempt stretching exercises only when your muscles are warm. When stretching, a slight degree of tension should be felt in the muscle. Attempting to stretch too far may cause physical discomfort or even pain and can further result in an injury. So, in order to maintain your suppleness, stretches need to be held for at least ten seconds which gives connective tissues enough time to lengthen.
Don’t take it for granted.
Stretches should always be done slowly. Once you get familiar with the positions, you can develop your flexibility by relaxing in them for progressively longer periods. You will soon realize that as your muscles relax, they can be stretched further. However if you are not doing this sort of activity regularly, you will soon find your joints all stiffening up and your range of movements becoming much more limited. So don’t take exercise for granted. Always consult a physical instructor before you start something new.
Again, have a healthy living! Have a Healthy Body Healthy Mind.
December 2nd, 2006 at 6:23 am
Healthy Body Healthy Mind: How to build suppleness…
Was just wondering if you really know what suppleness is. Well how easily can you tie your shoelaces standing on the floor. Do you feel any tension in muscles while you pick up some item from a top shelf. The study says it’s never too late to get star…
January 29th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
what kind of exersices can you do to get supple? i am a ballet dancer and i dont have a good range of flexability and thats not to good when it comes to some of the harder ballet exercises! so i have been trying to find out what exact exercises can make you supple, how to do them and how often! can you help? please bare in mind that i am only 15 years old! Thanks!
February 12th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Hello Bridget
First of all you should know that exercising knows no age. It’s never too early or too late to start exercising. Ofcourse that does not include infants.
It’s good that you are a ballet dancer. As and when you start practicing more and more (ballet) you will realize that your flexibility and suppleness would grow. Suplleness won’t come in a day. It comes with exercising, stretching and time.
The best way to achieve suppleness is by stretching. There are lot many stretching exercises, which can help you out.
Please keep a watch on a new article on stretching exercises that will be published on the website soon.
Till then, have a Healthy Body and Healthy Mind
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Great post on flexibility. Many of my co-workers in the health profession recommend a daily regime of range of motion exercises to assist with overall health. With out such a regime many patients require assistance early on in their care plan from bathing, dressing to even requiring assisted living placements.
Di
November 16th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
i need to know what sort of training program i could do to improve suppleness for a PE coursework
November 19th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
hay !
i was hoping u could help me…
im 15 years old and i still can’t touch my toes wen my legs are straight!! I’ve been trying to do regular exercises that will maybe improve my flexibilty but i barely see results.
The thing is that i think i bent my back to high up and i can’t seem to bend by my middle so my back will lie straight. It’s really frustrating and it’s been running in my family for a generation now! what can i do ??
Anything!
Thanks, and great site!! =)
thanx!! and great site!
November 24th, 2007 at 4:44 am
Bridget-
The key to stretching is to contract the muscle you are trying to stretch at the same time you are stretching it. You want to maximally resist against the stretch throughout the muscle’s full range of motion. Use the weight of your body to overcome the muscle’s resistance.
For example, when stretching the rectus femoris (which raises the hip, like pulling your knee up to your chest), you should stand with one foot in front of the other, with you weight centered over your back foot.
With you back foot - grip the ground with your toes, flex your buttocks (important!) and abdominal muscles, and flex your thighs (locking your knee)
Lean back, and use your front foot to pull your legs together.
You can also try contracting the muscle at maximum intensity for 20 seconds, and then doing a passive stretch.
Be sure to do deep stretching after your workout - your muscles need to be very warm for you to be able to stretch deeply.