Stretch Smarter: Flexibility Exercises for Peak Play

Welcome to The Stoiclete! Every Monday, We're here to help you improve by answering your questions about exercises, training issues, and specific areas like power and mobility. Learn from other sports and get the edge on your competitors in just 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can sign up for the weekly email here.

Here’s what we got for you in today’s edition:

• What is the difference between mobility and flexibility

• The best way to consistently maintain a stretching routine

• Essential flexibility exercises for better performance in the competition

IN OUR MAILBOX

Welcome to 'In Our Inbox' where we answer your strength and conditioning questions related to your sport. Got a question? Send it to [email protected] - your question could be featured next! Let’s dive into today’s situation:

Working on your mobility and flexibility as a footballer and athlete is essential to perform consistently at a high level. Addressing these areas has a few obvious benefits but also some surprising ones. Additionally, we will look at the difference between mobility and flexibility and how you, as an athlete, can use both to improve your performance.

ON YOUR MARK

Let's define and explain the difference between them before exploring how to improve your flexibility. They are often used interchangeably, and although they are connected, there is certainly a difference between them.

Mobility is about the range of motion of your muscles and how easily they can move. Flexibility is about the temporary ability to stretch your muscles and tissues, such as when reaching for items on the top shelf. In this newsletter, we will use soccer as an example because that is the context of the question, but this is relevant for any athlete.

The specific exercises will vary from sport to sport, but the basics can improve performance for any athlete. Training your flexibility is important because, in sports like soccer, your body is subjected to a lot of stress. Allowing your body to recover properly also ensures that you have a lower chance of muscle soreness in the following days.

The body needs to move at various angles during matches and training sessions, and for that, muscles need to use their full range of motion. Ensuring that your muscles can do this day in and day out at crucial moments is achieved by training flexibility. A practical example of this is that if you don't have flexibility in your hips, you can't take large strides and, as a result, you are less fast.

It improves performance because flexible muscles can make more precise and faster movements, which elevate your level of play. Research also shows that players/athletes who stretch after their training and matches experience less muscle soreness and fewer injuries. You demand everything from your muscles and joints on the field and in training, so make sure they recover well.

GET SET

To improve your flexibility as a footballer, you can incorporate dynamic stretching and static stretching. Before a training session, I recommend doing dynamic stretching because it warms up the muscles without locking them into a specific position. Static stretching exercises can be performed at various times of the day, such as after training or a match, but also in the morning.

It's important to understand that improving flexibility doesn't happen quickly. You will need to remain consistent even if you don't see immediate results. In the long term, you will notice the benefits in your injury susceptibility and performance on the field. It is therefore recommended to make stretching a routine by choosing a fixed time. For example, you can do it after every training session or when you wake up.

For optimal results, I would aim for 3 to 4 stretching sessions per week. During the stretching session, you can choose to first loosen the muscles with a foam roller. Focus on your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. A stretching session doesn't have to be long and can be completed within 5 minutes. For football players, the most important areas to be flexible in are the lower body.

The muscles that a football player should keep flexible are the hips, glutes, hamstrings, ankles, calves, and quadriceps. An exercise that combines strength and flexibility is the side lunge with or without weight. Another stretch that opens the hips and mobilizes the spine is the squat and rotate. Good stretches to add to the routine are the hamstring hold, greatest stretch, abducted leg hip hold, and kneeling shin stretch.

GO

Welcome to the "Go" section, where we put ideas into practice. Before you start this training week, take a moment to answer these two questions below. This will help you understand and apply the information from the newsletter in your training. Let's begin:

AROUND THE STADIUM

• Recovery flexibility Tips: A guide to enhancing recovery through effective flexibility exercises.

• Football flexibility: How flexibility exercises can boost football performance and injury prevention.

• Mobility vs Flexibility: Understanding the key differences between mobility and flexibility for better workouts.

• Ankle Stretches Guide: Five essential ankle stretches to improve flexibility and prevent injury.

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DISCLAIMER: None of the content provided in this newsletter constitutes medical, training, or performance advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not intended to be a substitute for professional guidance or personalized coaching. Please be mindful of your limitations and perform exercises at your own risk.