Project Flex: Stretching & Flexibility with Swing Yoga

Does your body feel like it is not keeping up with your age anymore? Are you experiencing discomfort quite too often than usual? Does your back feel like it is not supporting your body anymore? Or do your limbs feel tight these past few days?

More often than not, a lot of people tend to disregard the power of stretching and just proceed to go about their day or more particularly, with their workouts — this is VERY dangerous and we mean it.

And what best result can one get from stretching? Flexibility! That’s right, working on improving your flexibility is beneficial to your body, daily living, and as well as your mind. Improving your flexibility results to greater range of motion, longer stamina, decreased body aches and pains.

In this blog, we are going to talk about all the benefits that you can get from stretching and enhancing your flexibility with swing yoga and how it can cater to your needs.

 

The Power of Stretching

Stretching is a crucial point of our day-to-day activities especially when it comes to working out. It prepares our body to do strenuous tasks and prevents it from shock. Without stretching, muscle spasms, that term people say “pulled a muscle”, joint issues, and many others could occur and this could affect your then ways of living.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are numerous benefits that we can get from stretching. Among those are:

1. Improved performance in physical activities

As we said earlier, stretching helps our body to get ready for doing other physical activities regardless of its level of difficulty. With stretching, our body does not get shocked with all the movements and pressure that the activity exhibits.

2. Less risk for injuries

Since we stretched, our muscles and joints are now ready for moving therefore it would be a lot easier for us to execute. Some people do stretching as a part of their warming up routine or an entirely separate one.

3. Increase your joints range of motion

This is where flexibility begins to enter. With continuous stretching practice, we also increase the flexibility of our limbs, in connection, all that constitutes it. Stretching helps us maximize our body’s range of motion more than we have ever known!

4. Increase muscle blood flow

In stretching, not only do we pre-exercise our muscles, but we also increase muscular blood flow: this is very important for cellular respiration so we can prevent cramps and accumulation of fluids too.

5. Maximize muscle efficacy

If you are having some difficulties moving around or even with small movements, there must be some tight muscles here and there and the answer to relieving those is basically, stretching. There is really nothing a little stretching could not solve!

Tight muscles are a result of not moving around enough, bad posture, or even moving around too much or over a prolonged period with poor posture and body dynamics. Practicing even simple stretches every day could help unwind and maximize muscle efficacy.

6. Better day-to-day living

Now that your muscles, in extension, your body are working well all together, there is no doubt that your day-to-day living would definitely begin to improve because now you can move a lot freely, comfortably, effortlessly, and no more pains!

 

Why should you work on your flexibility?

Flexibility is a form of training that is not only for yoga, but for a lot of other activities as well including gymnastics, swimming, dancing, and even weightlifting! Stretching and flexibility is definitely a staple if you are an active person or is just starting their fitness journey.

It is also important to keep in mind that flexibility is not just for athletes or the professionals. Flexibility should be practiced by everyone!

It leads to a lot of benefits like we have enumerated earlier with stretching, but it particularly manifests in one’s “overall shape”.

A person with good flexibility definitely has a very good range of motion, mobility, and even posture! Since they practice and relieve their muscles and joints regularly, this can then be seen with the way they move, sit, stand, and live their lives. Wouldn’t you want that for yourself too?

Yes you read that right! Even though you are not an athlete or an active person to begin with, it is never too late to start even with simple stretching and working on your flexibility. These practices also help reduce the “stiffness” that we feel most of the time, especially if we are sitting for long periods of time.

So let those second thoughts fly away! Start getting more flexible now, and we’ll introduce you to how you can level up your flexibility with swing yoga shortly.

 

Why are others a lot more flexible than me?

If we are to compare you with those who have been in practice for a long time, then there is no excuse why they are truly stretchy and flexible! But you have to remember these factors as well:

• Age – Younger people have greater flexibility simply because their bones are still in the process of growing meaning they are less harder than that of adults. They also have lesser body mass making stretching and being flexible a whole lot easier for them.
• Skeletal structure – It is believed that having a greater bone diameter also makes you less flexible but that does not mean that it is impossible for you to be.
• Joints – The connective tissues, of course, also affects your degree of flexibility.
• Body type – In flexibility, it is also believed that the greater your mass is, it might be difficult for you to get into deeper stretches but again, it does not mean that it is entirely impossible.

 

Dynamic & Static Stretching

Before doing the actual stretching, first you have to know that there are two (2) different types of stretching that is dynamic and static stretching.

Dynamic stretching, as the name suggests, are stretches that is to be done all throughout the workout or in repetitions. These stretches are not meant to be held in for a time but repetitively until the number of reps allocated in the movement is achieved.

Yet, since this type of stretching is typically in a faster pacing that normal, it is important to be careful and start slowly before increasing your pace. Dynamic stretching is best included in your warmup practice.

Although we said earlier that some people consider stretching as their warmup routine already, it is also much more advisable to do your warmup routine first before stretching. There is such a reason why it is called ‘warmup’’.

What is good about dynamic stretching is that you can also do them in between your workouts so you can keep your heartbeat up without really straining yourself too much.

In dynamic stretching, the main principle is that the more warm your muscles are, the greater your range of motion will be because of the repetitions. Yet, if you want a slower paced stretching but still works the right places, then there is static stretching for you.

Static stretching, again as the name suggests, is a type of stretching that is the opposite of the dynamic.

In static stretching, poses are to be held for a period of time longer than that of the dynamic. The best example of dynamic stretching is yoga. In yoga, poses, or asanas as we traditionally call them, are held on for specific number of seconds or minutes depending on the person’s needs and goals.

This is equivalent to the repetitions that we do on other workouts such as lifting or Pilates, the only difference is that this is in a much slower and focused pacing.

If you are one of those people who wants to feel the stretches more religiously and precisely, static stretching is definitely for you. However, in this one it is crucial to do a warmup first because not doing so could lead to cramps and you might pull a muscle.

Static stretching implies the same principle as that of the dynamic: the warmer your muscles are, the greater your range of motion or flexibility will be. Don’t disregard your warmup routine – it helps more than you think!

 

Is there a right time to do dynamic and static stretching?

That is a very good question! Yes! There is a recommended time to do dynamic and static stretching.

In dynamic stretching, it is recommended to do it BEFORE working out or proceeding to your chosen activity of the day. Since these are quite fast-paced, it is great for raising your heartbeat and your temperature and getting you all perked-up!

On the other hand, static stretching is advised to be done AFTER the workout since they are now more slow-paced and targeted. Static stretching is one of the best ways of cooling down without having to think about the pain that you might feel after the entire workout because the stretching has already reduced the chances plus you will definitely feel a whole lot better after than when not doing it.

 

A glimpse into enhancing flexibility with Swing Yoga…

Luckily for you, you have chosen the right place! Swing yoga can cater both dynamic, static stretching and even as your main workout.

Enhancing your flexibility with swing yoga is easy, as the support of the sling plus the mid-air suspension makes it easier for you to execute poses a lot more freely, practice stretching and improve flexibility which is our goal, and an even bonus part because you also get to practice your balance whilst mid-air!

The support that your yoga hammock gives you also provides comfort to your aching muscles and allows you to achieve the relief that you are looking for all with just one equipment.

We can basically refer to the entire practice of swing yoga as a mix of static and dynamic stretching but of course, this also comes with varying levels of difficulty. Since we are suspended mid-air, fast-pacing flows are not recommended for beginners but that does not mean that other people do not do it.

When starting out towards increasing your flexibility with swing yoga and dynamic stretching, we recommend that you get an instructor or a professional to work with you than just winging it on your own. Or, you can also adjust your yoga swing to be lower towards the ground so you will be in more control and feel safer while doing the movements.

It’s a Yoga Swing Thing!

Aerial yoga is a practice that originated when a retired dancer/choreographer and gymnasts looked for a workout that does not stray too far from their practice. They incorporated the practices of traditional floor yoga into what we now refer to as the aerial hammock.

A yoga swing or aerial yoga hammock must be made with high-quality, breathable, and manageable fabric that is specifically made and used for the practice.

Using any other fabric can affect the quality of your practice so it is important to invest in one that will not only do the job, but will also serve you for a long time. Regardless of what you choose, this piece of equipment must also be installed with specially made metalware so you are ensured that it is safe to use and can withstand pulling particularly in practice.

With all these things to consider, you might feel overwhelmed but like we said, you have come to the right place if you are looking to increase your flexibility with swing yoga: we have it all here at Gravotonics and much more!

We offer the best and well-trusted yoga swings, handmade since 2003. Our brand has already received numerous reviews and recommendations from customers all across the globe. We pioneer in creating the best yoga swing both for value for money and your practice.

Aside from the equipment itself, we also offer a whole lot more such as tutorials, informative blogs and articles, and accessories that could truly elevate your aerial yoga practice. Just head on to our homepage at www.gravotonics.com to learn more!

 

It does not work overnight!

Stretching and flexibility comes side by side and you have to keep in mind that one session is not the end of it! If you truly want to achieve the level of flexibility you are aiming for, then you have to religiously follow your workout plan and stretch the right way.

Having the right mindset and focus are the main principles to have in all forms of fitness. If you are not going to commit to your work, then it is more likely that you will not succeed.

But worry less! We at Gravotonics provide you, not only with the best equipment, but also great after-sales services to motivate and add up to your swing yoga journey.

Get to work improving your flexibility with swing yoga – stretch with us now at Gravotonics!