Our fitness community has under-valued and underestimated the importance of stretching and developing flexibility, alongside developing the other 4 facets of fitness. Developing flexibility in our bodies through dedication to stretching each day will produce healthy muscles and joints, keep your body limber, and make you less prone to exercise-induced muscle injuries. There are many ways to utilize flexibility training, but whatever stretches are used, it must be done consistently and diligently to see results. With flexibility comes the ability to bend, and with the ability to bend, your body becomes much more adaptable to the physical training we put it through.
Our minds and our bodies reflect one another, and as you develop flexibility in your body, you can also develop flexibility in your mind. Our lives have no place for rigidity. When we react to life’s stresses with rigid expectations and an unwillingness to adapt, we make our lives much harder. Trees are seemingly tough and solid, but if the branches are too inflexible, they will snap and break with the wind. Instead, trees have a natural give to their structure, so that the branches can bend and sway in the wind without breaking.
The same goes for how we could approach life. We can either respond to circumstances and situations with an unyielding and uncompromising attitude, or we can train our minds to be flexible and adaptable to whatever winds life wants to blow our way. With increased flexibility, our bodies and our lives can flow much more easily – There’s nothing about life that we can change, but we certainly have control over how we respond to the world around us. We realize then, that flexibility is so important for a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Let’s all try to be more flexible! Shine On!
Sources:
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/the-importance-and-purpose-of-flexibility
https://www.codeofliving.com/people-skills/why-flexibility-important-life
https://www.active.com/articles/stretching-the-truth-the-science-behind-range-of-motion