Best Beginner Exercises for boosting Flexibility and Strength
To perform all the activities like getting out of the bed, washing clothes, cleaning, sweeping, running etc. you must have a flexible body. When the flexibility of the body is reduced, your body becomes stiff. By doing exercise regularly, you can maintain the flexibility of your body.
Here are Some Flexibility Exercises and their Benefits:
Ankle stretch exercises:
The weight of the body is held by the feet. So one must take proper care of the ankles and ensure that the ankles are kept flexible. Ankle stretch is one way to keep your ankles flexible. Here you have to move your foot and ankle up and down as much as you can. If you feel pain, you must stop stretching it further. Repeat the movements about 10 to 20 times according to your capacity. You can also move your foot and ankle in and out, in circles etc.
Balancing exercises:
Those who have an incorrect posture benefit greatly by doing balancing exercise. It improves you posture, stabilizes your hips and improves the stability of your body. There are many balancing exercises and one among them is Single leg balance. Here you have to balance your body on a single leg and stay in this position for about 1 minute. Then change the leg and stand on the other leg for 1 minute. Once you find it easy to do, you can continue it with your eyes closed. Another way is to balance on a pillow. Walking heel toe is another balancing exercise. Here you have to walk slowly in a straight line in such a way that the back of your front foot touches the front of the rear foot. Once it becomes easy to perform, you may do it with your eyes closed.
Spine, Chest and shoulder stretch:
This exercise is good for increasing the flexibility of the shoulder and chest, and also to relieve tension. Here bring your left hand to your back from over the shoulder and the right hand to your back from under the shoulder. Touch both your hands at the back. By doing this you will feel a stretch on your chest and shoulders. Now repeat it with the right hand over the shoulder and the left hand under the shoulder.
Hamstring stretches:
Image credits: skinnymom
Tight hamstrings may cause you problems anywhere on your body. So, hamstring stretches are very essential for all. You can do this few times a week. To do this exercise, keep your foot on a chair and then bend forward at your hips, taking care to keep your knees and the back straight. Lean forward till you feel a stretch on the back of your thigh or knee. Stand for about 4 seconds and then repeat it with the other leg. do this 4 to 5 times.
Hip flexor exercise:
This exercise is for those who spend most of the time sitting. Sitting for a long time affects the lower back and may cause pain and other problems. This exercise is for the hips and the lower back. Doing this exercise regularly keeps you away from back pain and other related problems.
Lower back stretches exercises:
This exercise focuses in your lower back and provides flexibility to the joints and the muscles. If you do this exercise daily, it provides you quick relief from pain at the lower back.
Prone back extension exercise:
This is a simple exercise and is very beneficial for your back, hamstrings and the shoulders, making them flexible. Doing this exercise can improve your posture and the health of your spine.
Push Ups exercises:
Push Ups are excellent for your chest, shoulders and abdomen and keep the muscles in these areas flexible. This exercise provides you a well shaped and perfect torso. When you perform this, you have to lie face down, and then raise and lower your body using your arms. It strengthens your abdominal muscles and makes it tight, expands your chest and makes your shoulders strong and flexible.
Side stretches:
These are excellent to correct your posture and to help in the alignment of the body. Since you are doing it on a ball, you must be very careful when you do this exercise and hold on to the ball tightly.
Side-ward bend exercise:
This exercise provides a good shape your torso as well as the sides of the torso. Here you have to lift your arms above the head and bend sideways. This stretches the muscles on the sides of the torso and maintains it in good shape.
Touch your toes exercise:
This is an exercise which all of you must have done, especially when at school. It is a good exercise and helps you in bending and in avoiding injuries. Here you must bend and touch your toes either straight or sideways. It makes your back and the hips flexible and avoids stiffness. Here you have to stand straight, hold both the arms upright and then bend forward, touching your toes with your hands. Make sure that you do not bend your knees when you do this exercise. You can also touch the toes sideways.
Upper back exercises:
If your job involves a lot of travelling, you are at the risk of suffering from problems on the upper back. So it is necessary that you do some exercises that relax your upper back by stretching it. It is good for those who drive or ride for many hours a day.
Wrist stretches:
This helps in making your wrists more flexible. The muscles around the wrist are also made flexible by this exercise. For this exercise you can rest your forearm on top of a table, with the wrist and the fingers over the edge of the table. Now bend your wrist forwards and backwards till you feel a stretch. Repeat this 10 times. Another exercise for wrists involves rotating the palm up and down. Side bends are also done.
Stretching exercises make your body flexible and agile, so that you can perform your daily activities without taking much strain or any trouble.