Flexibility is, to me, where fitness begins and ends. You can't achieve full range of movement without developing flexibility; you can't have true health without it, either.
Every tissue in the body, with the exception of bone and gray matter, has some potential extensibility, meaning it can move with the body. Many people think of flexibility as something you either have or not, but the truth is it can be developed and improved at any time of life.
Kinesiology studies have concluded that the limits of extensibility are probably established by around age 12. This means that the outer limits of your tissues are determined by then.
Most people don't know what those limits are, though, because at that time of life, unless they are engaged in ballet or gymnastics, they don't explore their physical limits in any organized way. And that's why it's desirable to begin training in ballet or gymnastics during childhood, because the work that you do then can increase your limits of extensibility.
After age 12, anyone who does the work can discover those limits. The older you are when you begin, the more slowly and gently you must approach this work. No matter what your age, it is potentially dangerous to begin serious flexibility work unsupervised.
All of the extensible tissues are subject to injury if work is too intense, or too fast, or is not properly paced with rest and recovery. An overstrained ligament or tendon or muscle can set back a fitness program by months. Work in the upper chest and neck should be approached with extra caution, since the fragile cervical vertebrae and essential blood vessels coincide in that area. Work in the trunk should be thoughtful and gentle, since visceral organs have been known to actually adhere to each other after lengthy periods of inactivity.
It should also be understood that flexibility work should not be limited to one part of the body. It's not a good idea to approach it thinking, I just want to touch my toes or turn my head easily.
What's more, this work is going to wax and wane. The body reacts to new demands with protest and indignation. Working up to your limits will likely cause soreness, odd imbalances, changes to sleep or appetite, and possibly crankiness. You may find that other fitness practices have to be modified to accommodate how you feel on a particular day.
Every time you work on flexibility, approach it attentively. Take note of whether you are actually at your limit, or just meeting resistance. Once you feel resistance, rest there for a couple of slow breaths and try to relax into it. Then you may be able to push through the resistance. This work should never go beyond discomfort into actual pain.
Achieving improved flexibility typically results in improved posture, speed, agility, balance, and even strength - because the body can recruit muscle more effectively. It's well worth exploring at any age.
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