Flexibility bicycle spoke analogy

[Alan Armstrong]

Flexibility or the lack of is everywhere.

Must admit I'm a tad obsessive on the subject of flexibility; most likely due to the health and safety benefits, also the enhanced performance from practicing it.

Flexibility, has been said from health experts "Stretching excerciese should be prescribed like pills from the doctor" but they don't say how.

Meaning that not all stretching exercises are necessary and that doing them at the right time is also recommended; somewhat like taking medication before bedtime or after meals, or on a full stomach...

"Then how can we self medicate ourselves for gaining flexibility or is it even possible"

I believe we can self prescribe flexibility exercises, due to understanding and assessing ourselves on a daily basis.

By using the analogy of bicycle spokes.

If all the bicycle spokes are representing different muscles in our body, then making the wheel turn properly is a matter of choosing which ones need adjusting, similar to muscles and those that don't.

We as creatures of habit can unbalance ourselves with routines, till eventually, very gradually, starting to walk lopsided, with bad posture, with aches and pains everywhere.

Without becoming health experts, we can adjust ourselves on a daily/hourly basis with great benefits.

Just by understanding the basic bicycle spoke analogy for muscles.

The idea is to adjust the wheel spokes so as to be strong and not to wobble when in motion.

If for instance you are not gaining flexibility from stretching a certain way or becoming less flexible, then this is a clue that you should be stretching the opposite muscles instead.

For me, I only stretch tight muscles that need to be stretched and if they are tight from exercises, then to massage them is better.

Muscles tighten up while sleeping and this is when they are repairing, therefore a little light stretch before bed is recommend.

We are born pliable, the real idea here is to keep ourselves pliable throughout our life, it's as easy as bicycle spoke maintenance.

Feel free to jump in and share your thoughts, as this is a learning and improving by sharing topic.