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Why Do You Think Flexibility Is Important for Team Sports & Tips to Enhance It

Why do you think flexibility is important for team sports? Explore expert tips to enhance it for peak athletic performance.

What do you think of when you hear the word flexibility? If you’re like most people, images of rubber bands or contortionists probably come to mind. But for athletes, flexibility means something entirely different, and it’s essential for peak performance, especially in team sports. With so many moving parts to team sports, flexibility exercises helps athletes adapt to changing situations, be more efficient with their movements, and reduce the risk of injury. This article will help you answer Why you think flexibility is essential for team sports? It will explain how flexibility enhances sports performance and provide practical tips to improve flexibility for better results in team sports.

One way to help athletes improve their flexibility is with Pliability's mobility app. This easy-to-use tool helps athletes understand the critical role flexibility plays in enhancing performance and reducing injury risks while providing practical tips to improve flexibility for better results in team sports.

Why Do You Think Flexibility Is Important for Team Sports?

People Stretching - Why Do You Think Flexibility Is Important for Team Sports

Flexibility is the joint’s ability to move through a full range of motion. If your movements imitate the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, it’s time to amp up your flexibility program to prevent injury and become a complete athlete.

Good stretching can increase both flexibility and athletic performance and can decrease the chance of injury,” says Tim Grover, owner and CEO of A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics and one of the world’s top basketball performance enhancement coaches. “All stretches are important, and a stretching routine should be personalized based on individual needs and weaknesses.” 

Flexibility Training and Injury Prevention 

One benefit you’ll gain is injury prevention by incorporating flexibility into your routine. Flexibility increases a joint’s range of motion, relaxes muscles, increases mobility, decreases stiffness in muscles and tendons, and reduces post-exercise soreness. When a muscle is stretched correctly, the associated joints become more flexible, and the range of motion increases. Not achieving this level of flexibility will leave your muscles tight and stiff around a joint, and the area becomes more injury-prone.

“A lot of the [flexibility] stuff we do is called ‘preventative maintenance’,” says Elias Karras, founder of EFT Sports Performance [Highland Park, Ill.] and trainer to Chicago Bulls G/F Luol Deng. “It’s just to ensure we protect [Luol’s] joints and the smaller muscle groups, so he is training with full mobility and range of motion to avoid injury.” 

Flexibility and Enhancing Athletic Performance 

Flexibility isn’t just about preventing a pulled hammy, though. It directly impacts your athletic performance. Being inflexible will severely hinder your speed because you’ll have resistance in tissue structures (muscles around the joint). For example, if you lack flexibility in your hips, you won’t have the necessary range of motion while running, making you slower. 

Your stride length will be shorter, equating to a slower athlete. Flexibility also plays a vital role in strength training. You won't increase muscle strength and joint flexibility if a muscle isn’t flexible enough to perform an exercise through its full range of motion.

Flexibility is a huge component to your performance in sports,” says Arizona Diamondbacks strength and conditioning coach Nate Shaw. “Improve your flexibility and you can become quicker, faster, stronger, and more durable.” 

Flexibility Boosts Recovery and Circulation

Flexibility will improve your recovery and increase circulation. It promotes blood flow to your muscles and prepares the body for vigorous activity by increasing muscle elasticity, which decreases the likelihood of tearing a muscle and developing muscle soreness. Flexibility will help speed up your recovery if you suffer an injury.

If athletes ignore stretching or skip flexibility sessions, then they will see a varying degree of pain and soreness and won’t have the ability to recover from an injury quickly,” says LaMonte Vaughn, former assistant track and field coach for the University of Washington.

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How to Measure Flexibility in Sports

Workout - Why Do You Think Flexibility Is Important for Team Sports

Flexibility is a key component of fitness that is often neglected. Assessing flexibility before developing a training program can help you understand your client’s physical limitations and design a program that will help them improve their performance. Flexibility can be measured using several techniques, each with strengths and weaknesses. 

The Modified Sit-and-Reach Test

The sit-and-reach test is the most common method of testing flexibility. It measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings. You’ll need a box about 30 cm high and a one-meter ruler. Instruct your client to do the following:

  • Sit on the floor: Ensure your back and head are firmly pressed against a wall. Your legs should be straight ahead, and your knees flat against the floor.   
  • Place the box flat against the feet (no shoes must be worn): Keep the back and head against the wall and stretch the arms towards the box.  
  • Put the ruler on the box: Move the zero end towards your fingertips. When the ruler touches your fingertips, you have the zero point. The test can begin.  
  • Lean forward slowly as far as you possibly can: Keep your fingertips level with each other. Ensure that your legs remain flat. Your head and shoulders can move away from the wall at this point. Do not jerk or bounce so that you can extend your reach farther.  
  • Slowly stretch along the length of the ruler: Repeat this action three times. On the third attempt, reach as far as possible and hold for two seconds. Read the score. Repeat twice and note the best score.  

Trunk Rotation Test: A Measure of Torso Flexibility

The trunk rotation test measures the flexibility of the trunk and shoulders. The only equipment that you need is a wall in addition to a piece of chalk or a pencil.  

  • Mark a vertical line on the wall: Stand with the back to the wall directly in front of the line. Your client should be about an arm’s length away from the wall, with their feet shoulder-width apart.  
  • Extend your arms out directly in front, parallel to the floor: Twist the trunk to the right and touch the wall behind with the fingertips. Your arms should remain extended and parallel to the floor. The client can turn their shoulders, hips, and knees, provided their feet don’t move.  
  • Mark the position at which your fingertips made contact with the wall: Ascertain the distance that this is from the line. A point before the line is a negative score and a point after the line is a positive score.  
  • Repeat for the left side and take the average of the two scores and compare.  

Groin Flexibility Test

The groin flexibility test measures flexibility in the adductors. The only piece of equipment that you will need is a ruler or tape measure:

  • Sit on the floor with knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and legs together.  
  • Let the knees drop sideways as far as possible, keeping the feet together. The soles of the feet should be together.  
  • Clasp the feet with both hands and pull the ankles as close to the body as possible. Measure the distance from the heels to the groin.  

Laboratory Tests

Clinicians frequently use goniometers for flexibility assessments. Goniometers typically consist of a body resembling a protractor with two thin extensions called arms - a stationary arm and a moving arm. 

The examiner places the goniometer along the bone near the measured joint to determine the range of motion. The Schober test is a specific method for assessing lumbar spine flexibility. It serves as a quick and straightforward assessment of lumbar spine mobility.

Measure the results that you get according to the figures in the table below:

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What are Some Ways to Improve Flexibility?

People Exercisin - Why Do You Think Flexibility Is Important for Team Sports

1. Flexibility Training: The Benefits of Consistency

Flexibility training is one of those areas where consistency is key. You won’t see results overnight, but with regular training, you’ll notice improvements in your flexibility. As you progress, you can stretch deeper and hold stretches for longer, making your body feel and move better. 

2. Techniques to Improve Flexibility

Incorporating static breathwork and dynamic stretching is best to increase your overall flexibility. Adding strength training can further improve both your flexibility and mobility. This may seem like a significant time commitment, but even 10 minutes a few times a week can make a difference. 

If you already have an exercise routine, try adding a short session of breathwork and dynamic stretching before a workout and static stretching afterward. Consider making stretching part of your morning or bedtime routine.

3. How to Maximize Your Flexibility Training

To get the most out of your flexibility training, consider these factors:

  • Aim for three days a week. A 10- to 15-minute session that combines breath work, static stretching, and dynamic stretching will be efficient and manageable. 
  • Hold or perform each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Relax and repeat. 
  • Perform dynamic stretches before strength training and cool down with static stretches after. 
  • Static stretching is typically safer and more effective when performed on warm muscles. 

4. The Importance of Breath Work In Flexibility Training

Proper breathing is an integral part of all exercise, especially stretching. The foundation of breath work, diaphragmatic breathing, is intended to teach you how to breathe more effectively and with less energy. 

It also engages and strengthens your diaphragm and core muscles. If your diaphragm and core aren’t muscular, stretching and strength training will be more difficult. 

5. Diaphragmatic Breathing: The Key to Flexibility

Mastering diaphragmatic breath is a significant first step to getting in tune with your body and increasing flexibility. 

How to

  • Stand or sit in a chair. 
  • Place your hands on either side of your rib cage. 
  • Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs with air and feeling your rib cage expand. 
  • Begin to exhale through your mouth, engaging your core and pelvic floor muscles as you push the air out. 

6. Seated Inhale and Exhale

Build on a diaphragmatic breath by adding movement with your arms. 

How to

  • Sit cross-legged with your arms down at your side. 
  • Inhale and bring your arms up overhead. 
  • Exhale and return your arms to start. 

7. Seated Side-to-Side Stretch

Build on diaphragmatic breath again and stretch your torso with a side-to-side stretch. 

How to

  • Sit cross-legged with your arms down at your side. 
  • Inhale and bring your right arm up over your head to the left, stretching your right side. 
  • Exhale and return to start. Inhale and repeat with your left arm. 

8. Cat-Cow Stretch

This yoga move stretches your spine and core and opens your chest. 

How to

  • Start on all fours with your wrists stacked directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
  • Inhale and arch your back, turning your face toward the sky and allowing your stomach to drop toward the ground. 
  • Exhale and round your back, allowing your head to drop and feel the stretch. 
  • Turn your face toward the sky, allowing your stomach to drop toward the ground. 

9. Lying Twist

Focusing on your breath in the lying twist will allow you to sink deeper into the stretch. 

How to

  • Lie on your back on the ground. 
  • Bring your arms out to form a T and twist your lower body to the right side, bending your left leg and allowing your left knee to rest on the ground. 
  • Keeping your shoulders on the floor, turn your head to the left. 
  • On each exhale, let your body relax slightly deeper into the stretch. 

10. Static Stretches

Static stretching is a great way to improve flexibility, where you come into a stretch and hold it without movement for a certain period. Adding static stretching into your routine can make a powerful difference in how your body feels. There are a few things to keep in mind while performing static stretches: 

  • Warm up beforehand: Spend 5 to 10 minutes on a low-intensity warmup, such as walking, to warm your muscles before diving into a static stretch routine. Stretching cold muscles can increase your chances of injury.
  • Don’t bounce: While it may be tempting to go up and down quickly in the stretch to go deeper, this can risk muscle injury. Instead, hold at the point of tension for 15 to 30 seconds, then relax and repeat.
  • Don’t push too far: Stretch to the point of tension, then stop there. Overexerting can cause injury.
  • Remember your breath: Be aware of your inhale and exhale pattern, practicing diaphragmatic breathing whenever possible. 

Forward Fold

A basic Forward Fold will stretch the entire back side of your body, including your calves, hamstrings, glutes, and spine. 

How to

  • With your feet close together, bend forward at your hips, bringing your head to your knees and your hands on or toward the ground. 
  • Without locking your knees, lengthen your legs as much as possible. 
  • If needed, bend your knees slightly to allow your hands to touch the ground. 
  • You can also place a yoga block or prop before you and let your hands rest there. 

Seated Torso Stretch

This move also called the seated pretzel stretch, will lengthen your spine and stretch your glutes. 

How to

  • Sit on the ground with your right leg extended and your left leg crossed over your right with your left foot on the floor. 
  • Twist your torso toward the left, using your right hand against your left thigh for resistance. 
  • Breathe into the stretch, allowing a more profound twist on each exhale. 

Figure Four Stretch

Release tight hips and glutes with a figure-four stretch. You can also perform this stretch while standing, though it requires much more balance. Stay on the ground until you’re comfortable. 

How to

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. 
  • Bring your right ankle to your left knee, allowing your right leg to rest and be bent. 
  • Placing your hands on the back of your left leg, gently pull your left leg toward your chest, feeling a stretch in the right hip and glute. 
  • Repeat on the other leg. 

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

If you sit most of the day, tight hip flexors are your nemesis. Stretch this area at the front of your hip to ensure mobility for the long haul. 

How to

  • Assume a lunge position with your right leg forward, ensuring your right knee is over your right foot. Allow your left knee to rest on the floor. 
  • Place both hands on your right leg for support, and keep your back straight. 
  • Gently lean backward until you feel resistance, hanging out here to feel the stretch.
  • Repeat on the other leg. 

Neck Rotation

When stretching, it’s essential not to neglect the head and neck area. From “text neck” to a stormy night’s sleep, prolonged unnatural positioning can leave you feeling sore and out of alignment. 

How to

  • In a comfortable seated or standing position, place your right hand on the top left side of your head. 
  • Tilt your head to the right, allowing your left hand to gently deepen the stretch you feel along your neck’s left side. 
  • Repeat on the other side.

Chest Stretch

Another culprit of sitting all day is a tight chest. When your shoulders naturally round forward, your chest will take the brunt, so allowing for a nice opening stretch will ensure you can continue to stand proudly. 

How to

  • Stand with your feet together. 
  • Clasp your hands, with arms extended, together behind your back. 
  • Begin to raise your arms and bend forward at your waist, feeling the stretch in your chest. 

Dynamic Stretches

Another way to increase flexibility and mobility is by incorporating dynamic stretching, a movement-based type of stretching. Instead of coming into a position and holding it, a dynamic stretch puts the muscles and joints through a full range of motion. 

This is an excellent warmup before several different activities. Perform this sequence of five dynamic stretches, each for 30 seconds, to reap the benefits. 

Front Swings

Loosen up your hips with this move. 

How to

  • Position yourself next to a wall or other stable surface, allowing your hand to reach for balance. 
  • Begin to gently swing your outside leg front and back, aiming to swing your leg as high as it will go. 
  • Repeat on the other leg. 

Side Swings

Similar to front swings, side swings loosen up your hips by working in a different plane of motion. 

How to

  • Position yourself near a wall or other stable surface, but this time, face it and put your hands against it for support. 
  • Give yourself enough clearance and when you’re ready, begin to swing your right leg out to your side and back in. 
  • Aim to go as high as you can. 
  • Repeat on the other leg. 

Lunge with a Twist

Adding a gentle trunk rotation to your reverse lunge will allow for a nice stretch in the torso. 

How to

  • Step back into a reverse lunge with your right leg, allowing your torso to twist over your left thigh. 
  • Come back to start. Repeat with the left leg. 

Arm Circles

Loosen up your shoulders and upper back with arm circles. You’ll want to go both ways with the circles. You might find that one is easier than the other, which is OK and to be expected.

How to

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. 
  • With straight arms, lift your arms in front of you, then back behind your head, aiming to draw a circle with your fingertips. 
  • Keep your arms straight the whole time, and stick as close to your ears as possible. 
  • Repeat, going the opposite way with your arms. 

High Knees

Whether you step on your high knees or keep one foot off the ground throughout, this move will pump blood to your lower limbs while stretching your glutes, hips, and knee joints. 

How to

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
  • Drive one knee up and bring your foot back down to the ground. 
  • Immediately drive the other knee up and repeat. 

Strength Training: An Overlooked Component of Flexibility

Although you may think about stretching to increase flexibility and mobility, strength training can improve with proper form and the full range of motion. Stick with foundational movements (like the five below) and focus on form to give the muscles the best workout. 

Common Mistakes to Watch For

With all stretching, you must listen to your body. If you start to feel pain or significant discomfort, stop immediately. You could risk a muscle strain or even a tear. Stretch just to the point of tension and hold it there. With consistent practice, you’ll ease into your flexibility in no time.

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Pliability offers a fresh take on yoga tailored for performance-oriented individuals and athletes. Key features include:

  • A vast library of high-quality videos designed to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion.
  • Daily updated custom mobility programs for optimizing their health and fitness.
  • A unique body-scanning feature to pinpoint mobility issues

Whether you're limited by pain or movement restrictions, Pliability complements your fitness routine and helps you move better. 

Sign up today for a 7-day free trial on iPhone, iPad, Android, or via our website to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion with our mobility app

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